By NAOYUKI MORI/ Staff Writer
October 7, 2021 at 07:00 JST
AWAJI, Hyogo Prefecture--A cow-shaped ice cream dispenser that can deliver a serving in a mere 27 seconds and also utter simple phrases is proving to be a huge hit with customers at an expressway rest stop here.
The “talking” robot, nicknamed Ushi-kun, has helped drive up sales by 10-20 percent since it went into operation in late July at the Awaji Service Area on the inbound lane of the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway.
When a customer places an order for a soft serve ice cream produced by Awajishima Milk Co., a staff member places a cone on the robot’s “hand.”
Ushi-kun turns the cone in a tight circle to allow the ice cream to swirl into it before handing it to the customer. Each serving costs 350 yen ($3), including tax.
The lack of human contact is aimed at containing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Ushi-kun reacts to customers’ movements and is programmed to utter more than 20 phrases, such as “I want everyone to enjoy it,” “It’s delicious” and “Please come back.”
Surprised customers often whip out their smartphones to take photos and videos of the robot.
The operator of the food court purchased the robot from a Tokyo company to cheer up customers short of things to smile in the face of the pandemic.
It said sales of soft serve ice cream had risen by 10-20 percent since Ushi-kun took control, compared with the same period last year.
“We are entering a season where ice cream sales will decline, but we are hoping that Ushi-kun will continue to attract customers,” a representative said.
Look! Godzilla invades new amusement park in Awajishima
October 11, 2020
A tinkle in the sea leads to Hyogo restaurant’s ‘aquarium toilet’
November 2, 2020
Jobs at Pasona’s isle headquarters available for 100 single parents
July 17, 2021
Awajishima’s monkeys show rare trait of eating together
April 1, 2021
Dinosaur fossil identified as Japan’s largest ornithopod
July 13, 2021
New dinosaur species found on Awajishima, gets mythical name
April 28, 2021
Stories about memories of cherry blossoms solicited from readers
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series on the death of a Japanese woman that sparked a debate about criminal justice policy in the United States
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
The Ushi-kun robot serves soft serve ice cream at an expressway rest stop in Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture, on Sept. 8. (Naoyuki Mori)
