Illustration: Isabella Cotier for Bloomberg
Thousands of Cat-Eared Robots Are Waiting Tables in Japan’s Restaurants
As Japan copes with a labor shortage, the service robot market is expected to triple in the next five years.
A cat-themed robot with big blue eyes glances from side to side as it purrs across a Tokyo restaurant, searching for the customers who ordered strawberry parfaits covered in cream to go with a large, piping hot pizza.
“Your order’s here,” the robot says, arriving with a crisp 90-degree turn that lights up the faces of the patrons at the table. “Meow!”