Robot Waitress Designed To Look Like Its Wearing A Hijab

Story ByLee Bullen,Sub EditorJoseph Golder,AgencyCentral European News

CEN/@TimesFastFood

This is the robot waitress that has reportedly been designed to look as though it is wearing a hijab to serve clients in a fast-food restaurant in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

The robot was filmed at Time Restaurant in the eastern Afghan capital Kabul and the footage shows robot ‘Timea’ serving Zahra Barakzai, 30, and her family members.

According to local media reports, the robot was unveiled at the restaurant last month with the head specifically designed to look as if the robot was wearing a hijab.

Barakzai said: “It was very interesting for me because it was the first robot to come into a restaurant in Afghanistan and serve food. It was nice to see the robot here, it’s kind of fun.”

Even though Timea was manufactured in Japan and serves American fast food products such as burgers and Coke drinks, the robot is said to have been designed with local Afghans in mind and a hijab, worn by most Muslim women in Afghanistan, was incorporated into her look.

The robot speaks Dari, Pashto and English and is wowing fast food diners in the Afghan city, according to reports.

CEN/@TimesFastFood

Little 13-year-old Zuhal told local media: “I never thought I’d see a robot in my own town, but now I am happy to see one in my favourite restaurant. It means Afghanistan is developing.”

Netizen ‘Nazila Jamshidi’ said: “A robot doing human work in a country where unemployment is rampant…”

‘Eltaf Najafizada’ commented: “A friend was probably joking when he suggested to the owner, ‘why don’t you put a hijab on the robot as it’s female and serving people in a very conservative country’!”

‘Greg’ wrote: “Cant the robot scan customers for weapons and explosives? Would be a useful feature for Kabul…”

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