Peanut the Waiter Robot Is Proof That Your Job Is Safe

During a normal April, the owners of the Island Grill would already have a stack of applications to wade through in preparation for the busy Jersey Shore summer. But as the pandemic has waned and business has returned, the applicants haven't lined up. Here in Ocean City, there just aren't enough hands to serve coconut shrimp, quesadillas, and clam chowder in a family-friendly setting. So Allison Yoa, one of the grill's owners, hired Peanut the robot, an autonomous machine that shuttles back and forth from the kitchen delivering food and bussing dirty dishes. It looks like a rolling bookshelf, with four trays, a touchscreen, and an upward-facing infrared camera that scans markings on the ceiling in order to navigate.