Uh oh! Robot barista at Punggol hawker centre malfunctions, pours hot drink on floor as diners watch

Ever been concerned that robots might steal your job one day? 

Maybe this video might give you some reassurance that humans aren't that replaceable, or at least when it comes to making drinks. 

Last Saturday (April 28), Facebook user Ks Toh caught the robot 'kopi uncle' at One Punggol Hawker Centre committing a boo-boo, which surprised onlookers. 

"This is the reason why robot baristas cannot replace human beings," wrote Toh in the caption. 

In the video, the robot misplaces a jug, causing it to topple over. The mechanical arm then reaches for a second jug and tries to pour the hot tea into the toppled jug, making a mess as the hot beverage ends up spilling on the ground. 

"Oh, my goodness!" a male voice exclaims.

"They can refund, refund," says another customer. 

As the robot continues moving about, a male staff approaches the machine with his mobile phone in hand, seemingly calling for assistance. 

Despite the robot's blunder, Toh maintained that robots are still a useful tool: "Obviously the cause of this failure needs to be examined but to clarify, I support the use of robots. I use robots at home." 

Over in the comments, netizens were divided over the robot's blunder. Some felt that such errors were inevitable, while others expressed their preference for humans over machines when it comes to making drinks. 

Making light of the situation, a netizen playfully urged others to stop "cyber-shaming" the robot. "He'll learn eventually and become good enough to replace humans." 

Launched in October 2022, the robot barista at One Punggol Hawker Centre is programmed to mix, brew and pour coffee and tea. 

AsiaOne has contacted the hawker centre's management, Timbre group, for further comment. 

ALSO READ: Coffee break? Grab a cuppa at Singapore's first robot barista outlet

claudiatan@asiaone.com

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