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9 The digital world

9.2 A restaurant with a difference

In this lesson you will... Key words: Technology
• read an article about an unusual restaurant built-in facial
recognition
• use words and expressions to do with technology.
technology
digital tablet
• Look at the picture in the article. What does it show?
humanoid
malfunction
Reading robot
1 Read the article. What is the attraction of this restaurant in India? to charge

2 Look at the terms in the technology key words box. Find them in the
article. What are they in your language?
3 Write the questions for these answers, based on the information in the text.
a 18 August When did the Robot f Arya, Ramya, Zoey, Alice and Sansa.
Restaurant open? g China.
b An average of ve to six hundred. h In Saudi Arabia and Dubai.
c Indo-Asian. i Four or ve hours.
d You use a digital tablet. j Twenty-four hours.
e So that the robots can move around easily.
4 What did they say?
a Report what the b Report what the c Report what Zoey the
general manager said. girl celebrating her robot asked.
‘We are delighted birthday said. ‘Would you please
to see how excited ‘I love the Robot make room for me?’
everyone is.’ Restaurant.’ Zoey asked the
He said they were … She said she … customer …

Speaking
5 Work in small groups. Discuss the following.
a Why might built-in facial recognition be useful for robot waiters?
b Why does the restaurant also need human staff ?
c What are the advantages and disadvantages of robots working as waiters?
d Apart from restaurants, in which other places could robots work?
(Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.)

198
Original material © Cambridge University Press 2021. This material is not final and is subject to further changes prior to publication.
ISBN_9781108816588.
 We are working with Cambridge Assessment International Education towards endorsement of this title.

9.2 Technology

Inside Bengaluru’s
FIRST ROBOT RESTAURANT
Since the Robot Restaurant when they visited for the brought my birthday cake
opened on 18 August, rst time. It has built-in facial to the table. She even sang
an average of 500 to recognition technology so “Happy Birthday” for me as
600 people have visited it can greet customers by I cut the cake.’
the restaurant every day. name when they return to
The robots have to be
‘We are delighted to see the restaurant.
charged for four or ve
how excited everyone is,’
The manager also said that hours. They can then work
says Karthikeyan Ramesh,
there were plans to open for 24 hours. The staff at
general manager of the
four or ve more robot the restaurant are trained to
restaurant.
restaurants in India and handle the robots in case of
The food at the restaurant is two in the Middle East – malfunction.
Indo-Asian. Each table has one in Saudi Arabia and
The robots themselves can
a digital tablet for selecting another one in Dubai.
deal with some problems.
and ordering dishes. Once
The robots can interact For instance, when a
the food is prepared, a
with the customers. For customer stood in the way
robot delivers it to the table.
example, they can sing as robot Zoey brought
The restaurant was designed
‘Happy Birthday’ for those chocolate cake, Zoey
with extra space between
celebrating their special day stopped and said in a polite
the tables to help the robots
at the restaurant. A young robotic voice, ‘Excuse me,
move around easily.
customer said, ‘I love the you are in my way. Would
Arya, Ramya, Zoey, Alice Robot Restaurant. It was a you please make room for
and Sansa may sound like great surprise that a robot me? Thank you.’
characters from a fantasy
series but in fact they are
robot waiters, humanoids
imported from China. They
serve food while another
robot acts as a receptionist,
welcoming guests at the
entrance of the restaurant.
The manager explained
that this receptionist robot
registered customers’ details

199
Original material © Cambridge University Press 2021. This material is not final and is subject to further changes prior to publication.
ISBN_9781108816588.