Eastern India’s First Robot Restaurant Opens in Odisha
Robot restaurants have been popping up all over the globe. While most are located in China and Japan, India has also been getting in on the action. We recently reported on a restaurant in Kerala turning to bots to bring in customers. Now the eastern part of the country is getting its own robot restaurant.
It’s called Robo Chef and is located in the DLF Cyber City area of Odisha’s capital of Bhubaneswar. It features two humanoid servers named Champa and Chameli.
The robots greet customers, take orders, and serve food. They’ll ask guests ‘Apana mane khusi ta?’, or ‘are you happy?
Unlike many other server robots, Champa and Chameli do not use guided paths to make their way around the restaurant. They utilize SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) technology which creates radar-based maps of their immediate surroundings. This helps them react and adjust their movements in real-time.
India Robot Restaurant Servers Can Sense Smoke, Heat, and Cold
The robots have 17 sensors that help detect the environment around them including heat, smoke, and cold. The sensors and onboard cameras also help Champa and Chameli recognize visitors. The robots are able to lift up to 45 pounds and can work about 8 hours on a full charge(which takes only about 30 minutes).
“Though there are several restaurants in India where robots are serving customers, Robo Chef is probably the first restaurant where there is no special track for them. They can move on in any uniform surface. Besides, the two robots that we have is completely manufactured in India unlike other restaurants where they are imported from China,” said Jeet Basa, owner of the restaurant.
Unlike many other robot restaurants who get their bots from China, Champa and Chameli were developed in India by a Jaipur-based startup. Each robot reportedly cost about $7,500 each.
Robo Chef is located at 125, Chandaka Industrial Estate, DLF Cyber City, Patia, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024. It’s open Monday to Friday from 12-3pm and 7-9.30pm; Saturdays from 12-5pm and 6-10pm; and Sundays from 12-3.45pm and 7-10pm.
Check out our articles on Russia terminating its space robot and Starbuck’s voice ordering.