Robotic cafe Ratio has opened its doors at The Centerpoint mall in Singapore where robots serve up cocktails and lattes.
Sip more than 50 different coffees and cocktails made fresh by robotic arms known as Ratio-logists. The cyborgs are also able to customize beverages to suit the customer tastes, right down to the precise amount of mixer.
“Robots and [artificial intelligence] are not here to replace the human touch. Instead, the human-centric tech frees us from repetitive work which humans may not want to do. It is here to execute human orders,” founder Gavin Pathross said in a news release.
Unfortunately, the robots can’t flair like a human bartender, so don’t expect any juggling of bottles or robots breaking into a dance while flipping shakers.
The machines, which are programmed with artificial intelligence, are baristas by day and bartenders by night. They brew coffees and whip up lattes in pandan, banana, and coconut flavours at S$5 a cup before switching to making Tom Yum Martinis or Longan Red Date Gimlets at S$11 a glass. Non-alcoholic options are also available.
The cafe uses coffee beans from Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Liberia, and also offers traditional Nanyang-style coffee from S$1 a cup.
The Tom Yum Martini is made with Tom Yum-flavored vodka, the Spicy Watermelon Cooler made with chili gin and watermelon juice, and the Longan Red Date Gimlet made with gin and longan red date sugar.
Skip the queues by ordering through the Ratio phone app or at ordering kiosks. The cafe will open its second outlet at the Seletar Aerospace Park this month.
Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified Ratio as a Chinese company. Its owner is in fact Singaporean.
FIND IT
Ratio Café and Lounge
176 Orchard Rd, #05-06 Centrepoint, Singapore 238843
8am to 10pm on weekdays, closed on weekends
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