The restaurant and hospitality sector has truly been the hardest hit in the past one year of the Coronavirus pandemic. Low footfall, high rentals and other difficulties plagued so many eateries and restaurants across the world. Some generous patrons and donors are coming forward to make contributions to their favourite joints. Further, new and innovative technological changes are lending a whole new edge to the business, changing it as we knew it. For instance, a New York-based café devised giant 'bubbles' to let its diners social distance while eating. And now, a new Robot bartender has been developed which will not just mix cocktails, but also tell jokes to customers.
The robot bartender named Barney is fully automated and has been developed by F&P Robotics, a Zurich-based company. Barney can mix 16 different spirits and eight different sodas for customers who place their orders via smartphones. He can also offer beer and prosecco and then disinfect his own robotic arm, telling the customer that their drink is ready via a large video display above the bar. A barista version for Barney has also been developed.
The Swiss robot bartender is generating quite a bit of interesting thanks to the unique and novel idea. However, restaurants and hotels are yet to warm up to the innovative concept. Further, it is unclear whether the bartenders will actually completely replace human bartenders in the future. Another consideration is the expense of the robot, which is priced at around 1,20,000 Swiss Francs or Rs. 98 lakhs.
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There are quite a few advantages to this unique concept, as per the company's Chief Sales Officer Gery Colombo. The robot bartender may actually be ideal for serving drinks in the post-Covid era. "It could definitely be an advantage for customers who want a barman who can work 24 hours a day, can serve exactly the drinks customers want while also reducing human contact," he said.
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