In a Facebook video shared by the South China Morning Post, a Chinese hotpot restaurant stunned customers with their "robotic" waitress while serving them.  

The robot waitress is not a robot but a person named Qin, who also owns the restaurant. Initially mistaken for an AI robot, the waitress's robotic movements and timing were so convincing that viewers were divided over her true identity.  Qin stated that her gimmick aims to boost customers' dining experience with a "unique performance." 

Speaking to The Straits Times, she also explained that robots' rhythmic and mechanical movements are similar to those of street dance, making it easy for her to replicate them, considering she has been dancing at 12 years old.

Her robotic moves heavily rely on muscle control, and when people asked how she managed not to blink, Qin added, "Eye expressions are definitely acted." 

The robotic waitress began her robot stunt last year. TikTok user @discover_gz first shared Qin's 13-second video, dressed in a space suit, serving customers with incredibly robotic-like movements.

In most online videos filmed by diners, Ms. Qin can be seen greeting customers, serving dishes, pouring tea, and mechanically making toasts, briefly fooling many into thinking she is a real robot.

Some users are impressed by her dance, with one suggesting she join a breakdancing crew. Others are simply fascinated by her ability to blur the lines between human and robot,  while some find it eerily creepy.

She has since been appearing in malls and exhibit shows.

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Robotics in China's Food Industry

With the adoption of robotics in the food service industry surging globally, with restaurants integrating them into important operations like serving, bussing, and food preparation, people have considered that Qin's hotspot performance may be accurate.

After all, China, known for its technological advancements, has increasingly relied on robotics, especially during the pandemic, to enforce safety measures and augment human workforces. 

 Nikkei Asia reported in 2021 that Shanghai-based Keenon Robotics has been autonomously delivering meals to tables and is responsible for about 85% of food-serving robots sold in China. While typical robotics in the food industry do not mimic human appearance, the concept of a humanoid robotic waitress, like the dancing robotic waitress, is a massive possibility in China.

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