Two robot waitresses built by a Pakistani engineer are serving customers at The Sicilian restaurant in Karachi, where they have increased customer numbers since their introduction. The robots, named Robia and Jojo, were developed by Syed Osama Aziz, who also established the restaurant.
Mr Aziz built them through his robotics company, Cobot, using mostly locally manufactured parts. He designed their circuit boards and programmed them in his own lab, with help from friends and some imported electronic components.
“The equipment, the things needed to make robots, are not so easily available here, so we had to arrange them,” Mr Aziz told AFP. His workshop for manufacturing the robots is located in Multan.
Both robots have spherical white heads with dark visors, similar to a motorcycle helmet, and wear black shawls styled after a dupatta. Robia greets diners with an electronic voice, introduces herself and tells them what they can order. She then delivers food to tables on a serving tray.
Customers must either take the food themselves or wait for a human staff member to assist. Robotic staff are increasingly common in China and other East Asian countries, where they serve food in restaurant chains and perform tasks such as cleaning and greeting hotel guests. In Pakistan, they remain rare.
Mr Aziz plans to add camera-based and image-processing features. These would allow the robots to recognise returning customers, remember their previous orders and offer better suggestions.
Families have been the main draw. Children reach out to touch the robots while parents take photographs and selfies. Customer Ahmer Zameer said the best feature is that the robot introduces itself. Another customer, Sonia Dilosker, said she preferred the robots’ approach to service because they are machines without emotions.
Restaurant staff member Hellen said business has grown, with some customers travelling from far across the city. “They have seen a robot for the first time here,” she said.
