In yet another sign that dining out is becoming increasingly automated, a Dubai restaurant has installed interactive tables that allow guests to swipe through the menu, update their Facebook status and even order a taxi home.
At Ebony Interactive Restaurant in Dubai, interaction with wait staff is minimal, as diners can browse the digital menu, place their order, and watch chefs prepare their meal via ‘chef cams’ by using the touchscreen tabletops.
The interactive tables also allow guests to customize their decor and choose from a range of images and patterns for their desktop ‘tablecloth.’
While waiting for their meal — anything from tameyya (African falafels) to ratatouille or pasta alfredo — guests can catch up on current news, check in on their Facebook messages or send greetings and virtual cards to diners at other tables.
The project aligns nicely with the Dubai Smart City initiative which aims to transform the Middle Eastern hub into one of the most connected destinations in the world.
Ebony isn’t the first restaurant to go high-tech and paperless. London Asian restaurant inamo St. James claims to own that bragging right, when it opened on the pitch of E-Table technology last year.
Meanwhile, interactive tabletops could also be coming to a household near you, with the recent launch of a 46-inch Android tablet from Ideum that doubles as a coffee table that can respond to 60 touches simultaneously.
The HD display runs on a 64-bit Intel processor and is designed to bear the brunt of spills and dinner-laden plates.
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