TOKYO, Japan – Travel agency H.I.S. Co. said Tuesday that a robot will serve coffee to customers at a cafe it plans to open next month at its flagship branch in central Tokyo.
The agency will open its Henn Na Cafe (strange cafe) featuring a robotic arm and an automated coffee maker at its store in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward.
The move will add to the company’s series of services using robots, including at the Henn Na Hotel (strange hotel) in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, where a dinosaur robot welcomes guests at the front desk.
At the Shibuya cafe, customers will be greeted by the U.S.-made robot, with an attached screen showing facial expressions.
“Hello. Would you like delicious coffee?” the machine asks in Japanese.
Customers first need to buy a ticket at a vending machine to order a drink. The robot will then scan a QR code on the ticket to process the order.
The robotic barista grabs a paper cup and moves it toward the coffee machine before pressing a start button. The robot then places the finished drink on a reception counter.
The ¥320 (US$3) cups of coffee take three to four minutes to be served. The robot can also discard coffee beans and clean filters.
“Using artificial intelligence, we want to have (the robot) learn smooth movements,” an H.I.S. official said.
