A sit-down restaurant seems like an unlikely place for machines to replace humans but this is the case in Nuremberg. Michael Mack, a former iron foundry operator, recently opened a restaurant where food is server to the tables via a spiraling rail contraption.

Rather than utilizing robots, the restaurant opted to for a less sophisticated approach. The method is quite simple, really. Each table has a spiral like structure where food can slide down from the kitchen above. As the rails gradually slope upwards near the tables to slow the decent of the food which is propelled by gravity.

Customers place there orders at the table through a computer interface which is linked to the kitchen. The tables also have credit card readers so payments can be easily handled. Not sure what happens if you want to pay with cash….you may end of washing dishes.

One person I heard talking about this asked the question about what happens if you receive the wrong order. Another person said they sure wouldn’t tip a robot. I thought to myself, before realizing that the automated structure was mechanical, that accidentally (or purposely if upset with the service) spilled a drink on the robot and caused it to short out…not to mention the electrical dangers this would cause.

The rail system isn’t the only automated feature of the restaurant though. The system also calculates the likely arrival time of food and drinks and reports this information back to the customers through the touch screen ordering interface.

The system creator hopes to market this rail system to other restaurants on the premise that it can save them lots of money which goes to pay the wait staff. Although this is a very valid business idea and could very well catch on in select markets, I can’t help but feel sorry for the people who could potentially lose their jobs to this system.

This restaurant automation goes to show there are opportunities everywhere for entrepreneurs who look for uncommon solutions to common tasks. I encourage you to read more about this story at Spiegel Online International where you can also see some pictures of the automated restaurant.

I’m just glad to hear that the cooking hasn’t been automated, yet…
[via Jeff & Stace in the Morning]