Viral Video Of Robot Serving Customers Was Made By Nigeria’s Federal University Oye-Ekiti?
A video circulating on Facebook in Nigeria depicts what appears to be a robot serving customers in a restaurant.
The caption accompanying the video asserts that the robot was created in Ekiti State, Nigeria, by the Department of Mechatronics at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti. The Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) is situated in Oye town, located in the southwestern Nigerian state of Ekiti.
The post appeared on Facebook here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
Some users expressed concerns about potential job losses, an ongoing issue in Nigeria.
To confirm the accuracy of the claim, we conducted a fact-check.
We did not find any media reports or credible sources confirming the development of such a robot at a Nigerian university. If this were true, it would likely have garnered significant attention in the country.
Upon investigating the TikTok username “house-of-love-doctor,” which was watermarked on the video, we discovered that the video was originally posted on September 26, 2023. However, it did not specify where the robot was created. The caption did mention that the restaurant was located in Indianapolis, USA.
Upon closer examination of the original TikTok video, we observed a “Bear Robotics” logo on the robot. Our research revealed that Bear Robotics is the manufacturer of the robot, named “Servi,” which has been sold to restaurants globally.
According to the information provided by the US-based company, Bear Robotics offers innovative robotic solutions to assist restaurants in automating repetitive tasks and enhancing the overall dining experience.
The same robot is featured on the company’s official website as one of its products.
In summary, the robot in question was not created by the mechatronics engineering department at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, contrary to claims circulating on social media.
Credit: Africa Check
