Tech News: Tokyo Pub Introduces Japan's First Robot Bartender

In a test for the potential future of automated bars and restaurants, a pub in Tokyo has introduced the country’s first robotic bartender. In a country suffering from an aging population, finding staff for such jobs is set to be a mounting issue in years to come.

The robot itself is a repurposed industrial unit being utilized in a pub run by Japanese restaurant chain Yoronotaki. According to the company that built it, QBIT Robotics, the unit is able to mix a drink in a minute and pour a beer in 40 seconds.

Customers interface with automated bartender through a tablet that is capable of displaying emotions and engaging in simple conversation. A series of cameras allows the machine to track customer reactions and expressions.

“I like it because dealing with people can be a hassle. With this you can just come and get drunk,” Satoshi Harada, an employee at the pub, said. “If they could make it a little quicker it would be even better.”

The unit’s test trial period will last two months. After that, Yoronotaki will examine its performance to determine how to move forward. At 9 million yen ($82,000) in cost, the unit costs as much as three year’s wages for a human worker.

“We hope it’s a solution,” said Yoshio Momiya, a manager at Yoronotaki. “There are still a number of issues to work through, such as finding enough space for it, but we hope it will be something we can use.”

With a third of the country’s population being over age 65, Japan’s service industry struggles to find employees to keep up with need. Attempts have been made to attract foreigners, but so far, the efforts have not yielded sufficient results.