4 . You may already see robots (机器人) in some restaurant...

4 . You may already see robots (机器人) in some restaurants. They are about the size of a child. They can welcome people and guide them to their tables. They serve food and drinks and bring dirty dishes back to the kitchen. Some have cat-like faces and even make noises when you touch their heads. But are robot waiters the future (将来)?

Robot waiters are useful. They can do the jobs as humans do. In the US, there were 15 million people working in the restaurants at the end of last year according to the National Restaurant Association. But many of the restaurant owners said they didn’t have enough workers. Robot waiters can also help save money. A restaurant owner said a robot costs around ￥15,000, but a person costs ￥5,000 to ￥6,000 per month. And the cost of human workers will continue (继续) to rise, but technology (科技) costs will fall.

The robots are increasing quickly. Sales of robots have been growing in these years. For example, a company called Pudu Robotics in Shenzhen, China, has sold more than 56,000 robots around the world. There are tens of thousands of robots now moving through eating places around the world. For example, Pizza Hut has robot waiters in 1,000 restaurants in China.

Some people think robot waiters are the future and they are well accepted (接受) by people. Some think robot waiters still have a long way to go before they can take the place (代替) of humans. They cannot take orders. And they cannot walk up steps to different areas of a restaurant. The others think the robot can never take the place of humans. People go to the restaurant to have the experience of being served by a human but not a robot.