look news india
Kolkata, July 27 (HS). Artificial Intelligence is gradually becoming the biggest support for human civilization. A restaurant located near the national highway connecting the southern part of West Bengal to the northern part is now serving food through robots. Despite being close to a metropolis like Kolkata, this restaurant is known for serving food in the rural environment and in the same style. But, this work is done in a unique way. In this restaurant, food is served not by waiters but by robots.
The robot is named Annaya. It is white in colour and is about five feet tall. It has a rectangular 'face' which also acts as a sensor-driven digital screen, helping the kitchen staff deliver food ordered by customers sitting at particular tables.
Annaya has wheels but no arms. It has four vertically mounted shelves on which it places the food. A human employee, standing near the table, takes the food from the tray and serves it to the mesmerized customer, who is often in awe of standing next to a moving and talking machine.
If there is an obstacle in the way, the robot can turn right or left to reach its destination without dropping the food.
Restaurant manager Subhankar Mandal said, “We have four robots, all named Annaya (invincible), to reflect the tenacity and fighting spirit of every woman. Our restaurant is run entirely by women from the neighbourhood. They handle every task – from housekeeping to cooking, handling the cash counter to helping at the reception desk. So, we thought Annaya would be the most apt name.”
The restaurant is located beside National Highway 12 (formerly NH 34) near Krishnanagar in Nadia district, around 120 km from Kolkata. The fast-growing restaurant is attracting customers from the metropolis and neighbouring towns like Barasat, Barrackpore, Kalyani, Ranaghat and Berhampur, who are coming to experience the food served through the robot.
“It's amazing. I even took a selfie with the robot,” said 10-year-old Alankriti Roy, who originally hails from Muscat and came with her family from Kolkata.
Asif, a medical student at AIIMS Kalyani, said he and his friends have been regular customers of the restaurant for the past few years, but the arrival of the robots has made the dining experience even more exciting.
Annaya the robot joined the restaurant team about two months ago. The restaurant manager said the name is also a tribute to a former restaurant staff member, Annaya, who was one of the first three employees.
The restaurant manager said, “The credit for the current success of our restaurant also goes to Annaya. He told that the restaurant was started in 2013 and it has grown over the years.
The manager said the restaurant's IT team had assembled the robots in collaboration with a local software company, but he declined to name the company.
Mandal revealed that there are plans to introduce more robots within the next one year, which will make the restaurant's services – from cooking the food to arranging it on the plate and serving it to the customers – completely automated with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“This will reduce the work pressure on our women employees and enable them to significantly enhance the service. In a year, when this kitchen automation is done, you can call us the only AI-driven, AI-themed restaurant in the eastern region of the country,” said Anatha Bandhu Garai, co-owner of the restaurant.
