Soon, Flying Robots to Replace Waiters

If you are planning to visit Singapore next year, don't be surprised if you are greeted and served a meal by flying robots in some restaurants.

Infinium-Serve, autonomous flying robotic waiters, will be first launched at one of Timbre Group's five outlets in Singapore. And, the restaurant-goers can expect to be served by these robots, the world's first commercial attempt, by the end of next year, Channel Asia reported Thursday.

According to Infinium Robotics CEO Woon Junyang, the project is estimated to cost a "low seven-figure sum" for the five outlets, depending upon final negotiations and certain variables of the actual deployment of the robots.

Infinium Robotics signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Timbre Group on October 31. Both companies are seeking productivity-related government grants to help offset deployment costs.

Woon said he is confident that such robotic solutions will help alleviate the Singapore's labour crunch.

Introducing this technology into restaurants would take away mundane tasks of serving food and drinks, and allow human waiters to focus on higher-value tasks such as getting feedback from customers, he added.

A prototype of Infinium-Serve was showcased to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the inaugural launch of the National Productivity Month in early October.