Starbucks has taken a futuristic leap by employing 100 robot workers to serve coffee and food. These employees have no wage demands and no complaints. Here’s the scoop on how this technological advancement is reshaping the Starbucks experience.
100 Robot Workers Serving Starbucks
In a bold move, South Korean tech giant Naver has built a futuristic Starbucks, where the major difference is the presence of robotic servers. This new Starbucks branch, located in Naver’s 36-story technology hub, Naver 1784, in Seongnam, features 100 autonomous service robots named “Rookie.” These robots handle coffee, packages, and lunch service daily without ever tiring or complaining.
Meet Rookie: The Autonomous Service Robot
Rookie robots are wheeled service bots equipped with compartments for carrying food, drinks, and other items. They operate on Naver’s cloud-based AI, Robot, and Cloud (ARC) platform, which allows them to navigate and serve efficiently. These robots can also access different floors quickly via a specialized robot elevator known as Roboport.
Support from Ambidex: The Dual-Arm Helper
Another robot assisting Rookie is Ambidex, which handles carrying and transporting tasks. Designed with advanced force transfer mechanisms, Ambidex can safely interact with humans at Starbucks, perform tasks with high precision and speed, and carry heavy loads efficiently.
Naver’s Focus on Robotic Innovation
Naver’s research focuses on three main areas: the proliferation of service robots, natural interaction between humans and robots, and artificial intelligence for robots. The ARC platform ensures that these service robots operate seamlessly with humans by using high-precision data and pioneering algorithms.
As stated on Naver’s website, “At 1784, daily services become daily tests, and each day’s issues inspire the next day’s updates, making the robots smarter and more efficient with each passing day.”
The Future of Robotic Service
The harmonious and effective operation of these robots in Starbucks at Naver 1784 is truly fascinating. It indicates a future where such technology becomes commonplace in our daily lives. What do you think about this trend? Is it something to fear, or just an inevitable progression we need to embrace? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
