A robot waiter caused a mess when it dropped dishes while serving customers at a restaurant in Japan.

The machine was attempting to locate a table when its tray clipped a divider wall, sending the food crashing to the floor at a noodle house in Niseko, Hokkaido.

Footage shows the robot turning toward a couple before the tray suddenly tipped over.

Bowls and plates smashed onto the ground, startling diners on February 17.

Holidaymaker Fredric Gabitan said: 'We went there just to enjoy some ramen, but we ended up being amazed by the robot servers instead.

'We thought it was about to serve our table, but it turned out the food was for the table behind us. When the robot tried to turn around, the tray hit the table and everything spilt onto the floor.'

Staff later cleaned up the mess and prepared a new meal for the customers.

Japan is a world leader in robotics, creating machines that can help in factories, hospitals, and homes.