Barcelona's first robotic restaurant opens (but there's a catch)

BarcelonaIt's called Self, and it's the first restaurant at El Prat Airport that's robotized and managed by artificial intelligence. But can we say it operates without human intervention? Absolutely not. Let's just say it does. The restaurant opened just over a month ago and is located at the beginning of the gate corridor in Zone B of Terminal T1, past the large stand run by Enrique Tomàs, next to Gate B24.

Self has brightly lit screens that draw a lot of attention. The menus you can order appear, but also a text informing you that it's the first restaurant of its kind, and another that reads: "Don't be afraid. Come closer and discover." People aren't afraid, but they are incredibly curious. Travelers stop and stare. Many of them take pictures. A Greek tourist calls a friend and starts a video conference to show him the menu. Meanwhile, a Lufthansa pilot struggles with the menu as he places his order.

Customers and curious onlookers aren't alone. A young, hardworking, humane, and very diligent woman assists everyone who stops by. She also kindly answers all my questions. She tells me that a restaurant of this nature has been planned for two to three years, and that it took a year to get up and running. She also says that some people aren't happy about it, telling her it's going to take their jobs. She doesn't agree. She explains that human intervention is necessary to prepare the meals, to put them on the shelves, and to rearrange the boxes if they're not aligned correctly. If something isn't in the exact place, the system might not work properly.

How it works

Its operation is very simple. There are two large screens, the same ones used in fast-food restaurants. Anyone who eats at, say, McDonald's or Burger King will be familiar with it. On this screen, there's a menu showing what you can buy: salads, sandwiches, pastries, cakes, cut fruit, drinks, or Lavazza coffee. You choose what you want, pay with your credit card, and the screen issues a ticket with a QR code.

At that moment, a robotic arm begins to move and prepare the order. It's the equivalent of a bar counter in a large fish tank. Behind it are the different items lined up, as well as the coffee machines. In fact, the employee assisting customers tells me to look at the robotic arm's middle finger. It's all white, but it has a black pointer on the middle finger, which is what it uses to select the coffee from the automatic coffee machine activated by a touchscreen. This is where I notice a display of the food next to the arm, so you can see it in case you have any questions.

Once the ticket is issued, the robotic arm places all the items on a tray. And when the order is complete, a conveyor belt brings it to you. There's one last step: there's a glass barrier. To open it, you have to insert the ticket, which contains a QR code, into a slot. Then the glass doors open, and the conveyor belt brings the order right in front of you.

While I'm there, the pilot has a problem with the order and needs to make a second one. He requires assistance. But the system quickly prepares both orders for him. There are three conveyor belts, and a screen tells you the order number and which belt it will arrive on. However, since everything is made of glass, you can follow the arm's movements. When it's not busy, the arm waves. Behind the stand, there are tables that accommodate customers. From what I've seen, cleaning these tables is still 100% human work.