Gizmodo: waiter

Deli Touch Ordering System: One Swipe of a Pen Will Bring You Meat

Sean Fallon — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:00:51 EST

Unless I'm in a fancy restaurant, I generally don't need to interact a whole lot with the wait staff. When I'm dining at Chili's, its all about getting my fajita as quick as possible. The folks in Japan realize that a middleman is not always necessary, which is why they are developing products like the Deli-Touch.

The system works using a pen that collects barcode data when swiped over a selection in a menu. That data is then transferred wirelessly to a printer, where the kitchen staff takes the order. At that point, an automated voice will alert both parties that an order has been placed. At only 45,000 Yen (or $418) for a one-month rental on 30 pens, a server, and printer, the Deli-Touch represents a far more economical solution to conventional wait staff and other automated systems. Plus, I won't have to deal with any waiters who screw up my order because they are stoned. [Teraoka via Trends in Japan]

Ben Curtis, Dell Dude, Now a Waiter

Jason Chen — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:00:24 EST

The winds of acting are harsh and unpredictable, which is why we have nothing but sympathy for Ben Curtis, the Dell Dude. You see, after gracing the world with his skills in the "Dude, you're getting a Dell!" ads, he had a hard time getting steady actor work and had to turn to being a waiter to support himself (unlike Frooch, whose simultaneous blogging and male prostitution supports himself just fine). The best part of the NY Mag piece on him? How a group of female DEA agents he was serving told him that he should smoke as much pot as he wants to. Something tells us he's way ahead of them. [NYMag]

Robot-Staffed Restaurant Launches in Germany

msparkes — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 07:35:10 EDT

Humans aren't perfect, therefore human waiting staff aren't perfect—as you'll know if you've ever had hot soup spilled on you, or the wrong meal brought out. To err is human, after all. However, diners in Nuremberg, Germany, won't have to put up with imperfection anymore because a new restaurant there is staffed entirely by robots. Check out a video of the future of dining after the jump.

You select your meal from touchscreens that are installed on every table, and it arrives via a spiral slide a few minutes later. Is it more convenient? Perhaps. But it's only a matter of time before we just arrive at a restaurant and have a drip installed, or pop a food pill. I'll stick with tradition here, I think, and fight the growing trend for ever faster food. However, if bipedal robots were to swagger around a restaurant, wearing little bow-ties and talking in ludicrously stereotyped French accents, that would be another matter. [Sci Fi Tech]