The 1980s Robot Waiter That Shocked Japan

In 1985, an unusual employee appeared in a Tokyo restaurant: the establishment began using a robot to serve customers. At a time when automation was just beginning to enter the service sector, this project attracted significant public and media attention across Japan. The robot, which performed the duties of a waiter, became a symbol of the technological optimism of that era and a precursor to the modern age of service robotics. Despite its limited capabilities by today's standards, the experiment demonstrated the potential for integrating machines into daily human life. The article on Habr examines the history of this project, the technical features of the device, and the reaction of Japanese society to the appearance of an 'iron' waiter. It offers an interesting look into the past, allowing us to appreciate how far automation technologies have come in recent decades and to recall the first steps of robotics in the hospitality industry.