Germany, the "Land of Ideas" has come up with many excellent inventions in the past, including the diesel engine and the printing press. Now to add to its list of accomplishments is a fully-automated restaurant dubbed the "Robot Restaurant".

'S baggers restaurant in Nuremburg was the brainchild of local businessman Michael Mack who wanted to do away with the stuffy traditions of waiter service and create something new and exciting.

He came up with the idea to serve customers by using rollercoaster-style tracks that deliver the food from kitchen to table. He says, "I wanted to come up with a complete new restaurant system, one that would be more efficient and more comfortable." We also have to assume that "comfort" is a relative term!

Novel features of this futuristic restaurant include an automated ordering system, where customers use touch-screen computers to order their food. The good news is that they can also use these to send emails and text messages while waiting for their food – who ever said dining out was meant to be about human contact?

Weaving through the dining area there is a set of tracks that looks like a mini rollercoaster which is used to launch the food from the kitchen right to the table. Although the food is cooked by a real person (phew!), the dishes are placed in pots with wheels on, colour coded to match the customer's seat position, and sent down the right track to arrive infront of the customer. No need to even lift a finger!

Undoubtedly this revolutionary restaurant design saves the owners and customers money as there's no need to pay waiters, or for customers to tip them! However, why would be bother taking someone special out to dinner if they can't be flattered by the waiters, or we're going to be emailing on the table-side touch-screen?