On a recent Thursday afternoon at a Denny’s in Long Beach, Calif., a four-foot-tall robot glided toward Diane Deconnick’s table. Its three tiered trays could have hauled a feast, but they were empty except for a bowl of soup and a fried chicken salad. As the machine rolled to a stop, a scrolling digital display announced, “FOOD IS HERE.”“It talks!” Ms. Deconnick said. A Denny’s regular, she had been curious about the robot since it appeared a few weeks earlier. “What’s your name, robot?” Ms. Deconnick asked.

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Persons: Diane Deconnick’s, Deconnick, “ Lily, He’d Locations: Long Beach, Calif