You’ve read our reports on more than one robot restaurant opening in Asia. After a few years and a few more restaurants trying the concept, it looks like the robot apocalypse has been postponed. Who could have figured that robots don’t make good waiters? The city of Ghangzhou in southern China had three robot restaurants, but two of them have now closed. The remaining restaurant is staffed with mostly people, and has only one remaining robot server.
One of the establishments employed as many as 10 robots at one time. The gimmick reportedly had some short-term benefit of driving customers through the door.
However, those guests reportedly were just as quickly turned away by food that was generally considered "unpalatable" for guests, according to reports.
Likewise, the robots were unable to pour beverages for guests, nor were they able to consistently take accurate food orders.
Instead of being fired, some of the robots were merely demoted to greeters. Robots may take all our manufacturing jobs, but they aren’t smart enough to juggle orders and serve ten tables, so remember to tip your server accordingly. -via How Stuff Works
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I did see a fascinating show on Victorian life that had a whole segment on flea circuses. As much as I admire the creativity, I can't help but think that fleas are better off dead.
When there's literally flea shampoo at my local pet store?