MK's robot invasion

Thailand's first commercial entertainment robot will be waiting tables at MK suki yaki restaurants by the end of next year.

The Thai robot, nicknamed Din Sor, was unveiled yesterday by inventors CTA Asia Robotics, whose inspiration came from recent prize-winning Thai robot designs. Din Sor's development was supported financially by the National Innovation Agency, the Ministry of Science and Technology and MK Restaurants.

Service with a smile

The first batch of 10 robots have been adapted at a cost of Bt10 million to fulfil the role of waiters at busy MK branches in locations such as Future Park Rangsit Mall, where they will focus on taking the orders of children.

The robots would be transferred to the restaurants early next year, said CTA Asia Robotics CEO Chalermpol Poonnotok. A model of Din Sor will also be wowing the public at the Japan Expo in 2010.

The robots interact independently with humans, show emotion on their faces, receive orders via remote control and take photos, then send them wirelessly, said Chalermpol.

Bt1-2 million per robot

Although the prototype cost Bt3.2 million (some electronic parts had to be imported), manufacturing costs could drop to between Bt1-2 million per robot, which is five to 10 times cheaper than Din Sor's Japanese counterpart, he said.

The next generation

"The next generation of Thai robots will be designed for 'edutainment' and be an aid to teachers in class. We also have a "one house, one robot" project as part of our aim to make Thai robots a worldwide success." Chalermpol also revealed that his firm planned to export the robots to be sold in Japan within three years and was in the process of negotiating deals to provide robots to the service and industrial sectors both here and overseas.

He cited the Japan Robot Association's assessment that by the year 2025, the robot market would be worth US$66.4 billion (Bt2.21 trillion), $50 billion of which would be generated by service sector robots.