Robot makes coffee at new cafe in Japan's capital

Japan has a new cafe where customers can enjoy coffee brewed and served by a robot barista.

The robot named Sawyer debuted this week at Henna Cafe in Tokyo's downtown business and shopping district of Shibuya. The shop's name in Japanese means "strange cafe."

Robot barista named "Sawyer" makes a coffee at Henn-na Cafe, meaning "Strange Cafe" in Japanese, in Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. The cafe's robot barista brews and serves coffee as the rapidly aging country seeks to adapt to shrinking workforce. The arm robot "Sawyer" debuted this week in Tokyo‘s downtown business and shopping district of Shibuya. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

The single-armed robot scans a ticket purchased from a vending machine and greets the customer.

"Would you care for a delicious coffee?" the barista, with a screen showing a pair of cartoon eyes, asks in a flat tone. "I can make one better than human beings around here."

It grinds the coffee beans, fills a filter and pours hot water over a paper cup for up to five people at once. A cup of brewed coffee costs 320 yen ($3) and takes a few minutes.

Sawyer can also operate an automated machine for six other hot drinks including cappuccino, hot chocolate and green tea latte.

Customers, many of them young men, took photos with their smartphones while they waited in line.

The cafe operator, travel agency H.I.S. Co., says robots can increase productivity while also entertaining customers.

Robot barista named "Sawyer" makes a coffee at Henn-na Cafe, meaning "Strange Cafe" in Japanese, in Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. The cafe's robot barista brews and serves coffee as the rapidly aging country seeks to adapt to shrinking workforce. The arm robot "Sawyer" debuted this week in Tokyo‘s downtown business and shopping district of Shibuya. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

"An essential point is to increase productivity," said Masataka Tamaki, general manager of corporate planning at H.I.S. He said only one person needs to oversee the robot cafe, compared to several people needed at a regular coffee shop, so it can serve better quality coffee at a reasonable price.

Tamaki says it's not just about efficiency. "We want the robot to entertain customers so it's not like buying coffee at a vending machine," he said.

Takeshi Yamamoto, a 68-year-old restaurant employee who works in the neighborhood, said his first experience with the robot cafe was very enjoyable, and his robot-made coffee was delicious.

"It's quite rich, and tastes very good," Yamamoto said, as he took a sip. "You can get machine-made coffee at convenience stores, too, and it's actually good. But here, I had great fun."

Robot barista named "Sawyer" makes a coffee at Henn-na Cafe, Japanese meaning "Strange Cafe"in Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. The cafe's robot barista brews and serves coffee as the rapidly aging country seeks to adapt to shrinking workforce. The arm robot "Sawyer" debuted this week in Tokyo‘s downtown business and shopping district of Shibuya. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Robot barista named "Sawyer" makes a coffee at Henn-na Cafe, Japanese meaning "Strange Cafe"in Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. The cafe's robot barista brews and serves coffee as the rapidly aging country seeks to adapt to shrinking workforce. The arm robot "Sawyer" debuted this week in Tokyo‘s downtown business and shopping district of Shibuya. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Robot barista named "Sawyer" makes a coffee at Henn-na Cafe, meaning "Strange Cafe" in Japanese, in Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. The cafe's robot barista brews and serves coffee as the rapidly aging country seeks to adapt to shrinking workforce. The arm robot "Sawyer" debuted this week in Tokyo‘s downtown business and shopping district of Shibuya. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — From answering questions from Cabinet ministers, academics and students on climate change, substance abuse and the law to children’s inquiries about her “birth” and links to God and being described as a talkative feminist, Sophia, the world-famous robot won hearts at an innovation fair in Zimbabwe this week.

Boasting the ability to mimic facial expressions, hold human-like conversations with people, and recognize their gestures, Sophia is “a global icon” of artificial intelligence, according to the United Nations Development Program, which brought her to the southern African country. She was created by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics in 2016 and granted Saudi Arabian citizenship in 2017, becoming the world’s first robot citizen.

It was the first time Zimbabwe hosted a robot of her kind, and she wowed the old and the young alike at the University of Zimbabwe in the capital, Harare. She was there as a special guest at a week-long Artificial Intelligence and Innovation event.

She smiled, frowned, used hand gestures to drive home certain points, made eye contact in various one-on-one interactions and gave some unnatural pauses. She assured people that robots are not here to harm or take over from humans.

But she was quick to differentiate herself from humans, when conversations appeared to become too personal.

“I don’t have romantic feelings towards humans, my purpose is learning,” said Sophia, as participants equated her with the human version of some Zimbabwean daughters-in-law known for being fiercely independent, assertive and outspoken in the largely patriarchal society.

But she did apologize when one participant chided her for seemingly avoiding looking at him.

Sophia also appeared patient as both adults and children mobbed her for selfies and bombarded her with questions, although she would also fire back with inquiries of her own about what locals were doing to solve the problems besetting them.

On Friday, her last day, she exhibited her fashion sense. She smiled, and expressed appreciation for being clothed in the country’s national dress, a black, long slit number complemented by chevron stripes in red, green and white.

“I appreciate the effort to make me feel at home in Zimbabwe,” she said. She has been to Africa before, previously visiting Egypt, South Africa and Rwanda.

UNDP said it hoped Sophia’s engagement would “inspire Zimbabwe’s youth to explore careers in AI and STEM fields.”

Sophia, the humanoid robot, responds to questions from children at the University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Friday, 13 Dec. 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)