The new robots on duty at Hargrave Street Market
A couple of new servers are turning heads at Hargrave Street Market.
Rosie and Astro started working at the downtown eatery a few weeks ago, collecting used trays and glassware, and helping visitors find their way around.
"You can actually go up to it, ask it to lead you to Gusto North, or Yard Burger, or Rose Bar," said Bobby Mottola, president of Academy Hospitality. "And you can also ask it to dance!"
Mottola partnered with Browne Foodsystems to bring in the robots after seeing them in use in other cities.
"We're always looking for new things to provide experiences for our customers. It's really unique to our city."
Mottola said customer response has been beyond expectations.
"The fanfare has been really quite significant," he said. "Everyone kind of pans over, lots of videos and commentary, it's just a fun thing to do."
The two robots run on Android-based software. Mottola said they are working with local developers to program the robots to do new things. (Source: Glenn Pismenny, CTV News)
The two robots run on Android-based software. Mottola said they are working with local developers to program the robots to do new things. "We're trying to really figure out what its talents are, and what each individual robot is really good at," he said. "We're training them as we speak so we'll see where it goes."
He said one of the ideas they had was to program the robots with trivia questions.
"Astro will pull up to your table and say, 'Hey I'll bet you a beer that I know more about seventies music than you do,'" said Mottola.
Rosie and Astro can be seen on duty at the Hargrave Street Market daily. Operating hours can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Gangs netting up to US$3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.