At Inamo in Soho, London, the frustration of waggling fingers or tinging glasses to get waiters’ attention is consigned to history. The system allows diners place orders from an illustrated food and drinks menu projected on to their table surface. Customers also set their table ambience, discover the local neighbourhood, and even order a taxi home.
The E-Table has been built explicitly with the intent of being installed in a restaurant environment. Each table seats two guests. Included is the actual table which incorporates the proprietary waterproof touch panel with integrated Bluetooth wireless technology.
Above each E-table there is a high quality projector and a computer that drives the interactivity applications and communicates with the system central server. The projectors and computers are housed in proprietary housings which can be displayed in a variety of ways, including flush mounted behind a false ceiling.
The central server includes various essential elements including business logic that links to the EPOS system and defines aspects of the restaurant operation and a Content Management System that allows the restaurant management elements of control. The central server drives printers in the kitchen and at the bar. In the future, no doubt, the tables will allow courting couples virtually to flutter their fingertips, praise the lustre of each other’s eyes and offer invitations home for coffee. After that the tables will be able to propose marriage and discuss shared mortgages and pensions.
