Karachi (AFP) - Making her way through the tables of an Italian restaurant with flashing neon in the heart of Karachi, Pakistan's economic capital, a robotic waitress leaves a pizza fresh from the oven in front of a waiting family.

First modification: 11/08/2026 - 10:57

"Welcome to Sicilian. My name is Robia," the robot says in an electronic voice, looking at diners through its flashing red LED eyes.

Equipped with a white spherical head and a dark visor, similar to that of a motorcycle helmet, this android wears a 'dupatta', a traditional black shawl from South Asia, on his shoulders.

Pakistani engineer Syed Osama Aziz, founder of "The Sicilian" restaurant, developed two humanoids through his robotics company, Cobot, and with the help of friends.

He used mostly locally manufactured parts, designed his printed circuits and programmed them in his own laboratory.

However, it had to import some electronic components from abroad.

"The hardware, that is, what is needed to make robots, is not so easy to find here, so we have had to make do," he explains.

In China and other East Asian countries, robots are becoming more common, bringing dishes to customers in restaurant chains and performing various tasks, ranging from cleaning to welcoming guests in hotels.

The American investment bank Morgan Stanley predicts that the world could have more than one billion humanoid robots by 2050.

– "People are delighted" –

When they arrive at "The Sicilian" restaurant, customers can take the dishes themselves from the tray carried by the robot, or wait for a human staff member to come and help them.

Syed Osama Aziz, whose robot manufacturing workshop is located in Multan, in the central province of Punjab, hopes to perfect his creations.

"In the future, we plan to add camera processing and image processing functions. This means that the robot will also be able to recognize you when you look at you, that it will remember what you ordered the last time and that way it will be able to make better suggestions," he develops.

For now, the robots are a huge hit with families, who flock to his restaurant to see the machines in action.

"The best thing is that it presents itself," an enthusiastic customer, Ahmer Zameer, told AFP, adding that the robot "also tells you what you can order."

Children reach out to touch the mechanical waiters while their parents take photos and selfies.

Sonia Dilosker, a young customer, was especially impressed by his greetings and appearance. He also said that he really liked that he didn't show emotions when serving customers. "Because he's a machine and he has no emotions," he says.

Restaurant workers say that this novelty has caused a clear increase in attendance, and that some customers cross the entire city to go and meet these robots at their disposal.

"Our business has grown. People come from far away for this. It's the first time they've seen a robot here," Hellen, an employee, told AFP. And he adds: "People are delighted to see this."

© 2026 AFP

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