The cinema of the 1980s had already anticipated some aspects of robotics in food service. In the 1986 film "Short Circuit", a comedy about a military robot that comes to life, some Nova Robotics robots served drinks and food to guests at an event, inviting them to help themselves with a female robotic voice. When you hear about robots employed in restaurants in Sorrento, it is natural to remember these scenes.
Luigi De Maio and Mario Parlato, respectively owner and manager of the Circolo dei Forestieri restaurant, have decided to add two robots to their staff. These automatons, called Bob, do not have anthropomorphic features but resemble self-propelled platforms with overlapping shelves and a monitor on top. De Maio had already tested them last summer, noting that these machines do not replace waiters, but help them in clearing operations, carrying empty plates to the kitchen, which can be up to 100-120 meters from the most external tables.
The cost of each robot is about 18 thousand euros, much less than what would be spent to hire two collaborators. Once purchased, the robot does not need a salary, only electricity and occasional maintenance. Parlato assured that robots will never be able to completely replace human staff, who offer courtesy, kindness and a smile. Despite this, newspapers have published provocative headlines such as "Waiters goodbye?", still giving the restaurant considerable publicity.
The use of these robots is mainly due to the difficulty of finding personnel. De Maio and Parlato offered salaries of 1500 euros, but the interviews were fruitless.