Hello. My name is Hal 9000. I'll be your waiter tonight.

Is this the future of the waitstaff at restaurants? It sort of looks like a small iPad, maybe a thick Kindle Fire. Presto is its name. The screen shows an animation that says, "Touch me!" ... Beautifully lit photos let me see what I'm going to get. The UI is intuitive. Within 20 seconds, I've sent my order to the kitchen. Before we'd even finished eating, I swiped my card slightly awkwardly into the built-in payment slot, added a tip, and settled up. I would not say that this machine will blow your mind with its technical capabilities, but that's exactly the point: It just works.

It has to happen, of course, the so-called restaurant of tomorrow. Most of your fast food chains already operate roughly on the principle of straightforward technology taking your orders, except usually there's a human being working for the restaurant at the controls. But in a world where touch screens are commonplace, it's a short step to the Presto, and not just for fast food. It acts as a polished selling tool, with pictures of everything to lure you in (and apparently, because of all those lures, you spend more), and it is poised to take the place of a human being taking your order. No more trying to catch someone's eye. No more waiting for the check. What are you supposed to tip this thing, anyhow.

Alex Madrigal explores all the possibilities: At the Restaurant of the Future, This Gadget Takes Your Order.