Robo Shop

Snackbots are setting up stores in Hong Kong

Robo Shop
Snackbots are setting up stores in Hong Kong

I asked it how many languages it could speak, its circuits whirred for a few seconds, and then it replied, “I can speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. What would you like to talk about?” Up until that point, it had been chattering away, to no one in particular, in Cantonese. Fair enough, we are in Hong Kong. What is your name? “My name is Xiao Gai, nice to meet you,” it replied, flinging its arms about.

Xiao Gai is a product of Beijing Galbot, an artificial intelligence company that has some 200 stores in 50 cities around China. I’ve seen one-armed baristas dispensing coffee in a few of Shenzhen’s metro stations, though they are probably made by a diffefent company. This is the first I’ve seen in Hong Kong and the first humanoid robot outside of Shenzhen’s 6S robot showroom.

Xiao Gai swings into action

This store is a small pop-up shop in Wanchai that opened at the beginning of September. Apparently, there are two others, one in Hung Hom and the third at Kai Tak but I haven’t visited either of those. At the moment, this branch’s inventory is limited to soft drinks and a few toys.

Apart from serving customers, Xiao Gai’s duties include restocking the shelves and entertaining people passing by. It attracts a number of curious onlookers, most of whom just take photos while it chatters away to itself. Nobody engaged with it or bought anything, though I suspect it attracts more attention in the evenings when there are more people about.

Most people just took photos, but few engaged

To purchase, you need to use a touch screen, probably because asking for a bottle of peach-flavoured oolong tea in any of the three different languages still leaves too much room for error. The procedure is simple enough, though. Make your choice, confirm, and scan the QR code. Then watch as Xiao Gai springs into action.

Thank you, I said as the hatch opened and Xiao Gai passed a nicely chilled bottle of oolong tea through. “I’m happy to have served you,” it said, in a way that made me think of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy book. “Is there anything else you’d like?” Yes, I replied, sing me a song. So it did. A little jingle extolling the virtues of being a robo shop.

• If you are thinking of paying a visit, it is on the waterfront promenade close to the Hong Kong Yacht Club. It is open from 10:00 to 22:00 but closed on Mondays.

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