Dutch Restaurant Uses Robot Waiters

June 9, 2020
6
Intermediate

Europe
Science & Technology
Exercise 1
Vocabulary
creative
Adjective
kriːˈeɪtɪv
relating to or involving the use of skill and imagination to produce new things
You have to be creative to work as a freelance illustrator.
Being creative is important to me. I like to draw and make music.
He is a very creative writer and thinker.
I like the artist because he is very creative.
specialty
Noun
ˈspeʃəlti
a product that a person or place is famous for making well
Carrot cake is my grandmother's specialty.
hunt
Noun
hʌnt
a search for someone or something
We are now on the hunt for a new software developer.
complaint
Noun
kəmˈpleɪnt
a statement in which someone says that they are not happy with something
We just received a complaint from one of our customers.
The protesters had many complaints.
The manager received a complaint that the offices were too cold.
If you have a complaint about working conditions, please contact the Human
Resource division.
rural
Adjective
ˈrʊrəl
relating to the countryside
After I retire, I want to live in a small, rural town.
I grew up in a rural area.
The train line passes through a number of rural areas.
There's been a shift in rural economies from agriculture and industry to tourism
and housing development.
disappear
Verb
ˌdɪsəˈpiːr
to stop existing; to no longer be visible or able to be found
Mangrove wetlands are disappearing from Asian shorelines.
The Malaysia Airlines jetliner mysteriously disappeared in March.
Exercise 2
Article
Dutch Restaurant Uses Robot Waiters
The Royal Palace, a restaurant in the Dutch town of Renesse, is using robot
waiters to serve food as bars and restaurants begin to reopen.

Owner Shaosong Hu decided he wanted the robots for his business when he
first saw them in China last fall. But as restaurants around the world look for
creative ways to continue doing business under social distancing rules, they
may prove more useful than he first imagined.

"Hello and welcome" the red-and-white robots say.  Their jobs will include
greeting customers, returning glasses and plates, and serving Chinese and
Indonesian specialties like Babi Pangang and Char Siu at €15.50 ($17) each.

The hunt is on to give the two human names, with a competition taking place
on Instagram. "We don't have a favorite yet. But the suggestion of Ro and Bot
is out. We want to give them a normal name," said Shaosong's daughter, Leah
Hu.

The Hus don't want to hear any complaints about the robots taking jobs away
from people. They say it's hard to find staff in their rural region without any big
city close by.

"They help us with the work we do," said Leah. "We are often busy and
cleaning tables and the robots give us an extra hand."

"We are not disappearing. We are still here. They will always need people in
this industry," she said.
Exercise 3
Questions
1.
When did Shaosong Hu first decide he wanted robot waiters?
2.
What jobs will the robots be required to do at the Royal Palace?
3.
What are the robots' names?
Exercise 4
Discussion
1.
What are your thoughts on The Royal Palace's robot waiters?
2.
Do you think a restaurant with robot waiters would be popular where
you live? Why? Why not?
3.
Have you had a chance to interact with a robot? If so, please share
your experience.
4.
If you had a personal robot, what jobs or tasks would you get it to do?
Why?
5.
Have you ever worked in a bar or restaurant? If so, did you enjoy it? If
not, do you think you'd enjoy it?
Exercise 5
Further Discussion
1.
What countries do you think have the best cuisine? Why?
2.
How often do you eat out? Please explain your answer.
3.
What's the most unusual restaurant you've ever been to? Please share
your experience.
4.
Have you been to the Netherlands? If so, where did you visit? If not,
would you like to?
5.
I can't imagine the future without robots. — Nolan Bushnell. What do
you make of this statement?