A restaurant has left diners shocked after hiring a robot to serve meals – but all is not as it seems.
Videos of the bizarre hospitality show what appears to be an android waitress in a variety of outfits, working in a busy venue.
The server at the hotpot restaurant Chongqing, China, moves in a mechanical manner and looks very much like the real deal.
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In one of the clips, she gets a dish out of a fridge and plates up a meal for a customer.
In another video, she walks over to a table of customers with some drinks, and slowly places them on their table.
The diners can be seen laughing and shouting.
But the robot is in fact Qin – the manager of the hotpot joint who has become an online sensation, as reported by What’s The Jam.
According to Jiupai News, the 26-year-old has been passionately involved in dance since childhood, having had professional training from the age of 12.
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She uses her movement skills to mimic an android and entertain customers.
Qin said: “The rhythmic and mechanical movements of robots closely resemble the beats of street dance, making it easy for me.
“Eye expressions are definitely acted, but the moves rely on muscle control.
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“When customers or friends come to the restaurant, we dance together.
“By chance, they thought my impersonation was very realistic and recorded a video of me, which was then uploaded online.
“It’s about having fun using my talents and adding a unique feature to the restaurant.”
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