Forget phone reservations, paper menus, and human waiters. From iPad menus at the airport to Chinese robots that serve up hot pots, here are seven tech advancements aiming to improve how you get your daily bread. Fork and knife not included.

Targeting travelers who'd rather not leave their gates for grub, select Delta terminals at New York's JFK International Air Terminal and LaGuardia Airport now feature iPads that double as waiters. Fliers can use the 200-plus devices to peruse options from full-service menus, and a server will deliver the orders directly to their gates. Those who simply have time to kill between flights are also free to use the iPads—there’s no time limit and you don't have to order food.

Urbanspoon is coming back for seconds, following the success of its so-simple-it's-brilliant mobile app that gives users a list of local eateries after they shake their phones. Its RezBook app for the iPad lets restauranteurs oversee all of their reservations with a few simple flicks. RezBook's partner app, Rez, lets diners view and book open tables on their smartphones.

Gone are the days when a flustered maître d’ would hand you a "table's ready" pager. With the Diner Connection cross-platform app, restaurant patrons can receive a text instead.

Awkwardly trying to catch your waiter’s eye at the end of a meal is almost as annoying as waiting for a table. The mobile app YWaiter, whose name is a play on the frequently asked diner question, “Why wait?”, allows users to pre-order and quickly check out at the end of a meal. The app also stores credit card information, which speeds up the payment process--and gives patrons more time to focus on their food.

South Gate restaurant in NYC’s Central Park was one of the first in a growing fleet of upscale eateries to feature their wine offerings through a customized iPad app (instead of a thick, leather-bound booklet), which lets diners browse wines based on the region, price range, or varietal. Bonus: Inventory is updated as bottles sell out.

Regulars of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s outposts can now earn "Happy Star Rewards" by checking in with their smartphones. (Take that, Foursquare mayors!) Customers who rack up check-ins using the app get a chance to “spin” the virtual Wheel of Awesome -- yes, the Wheel of Awesome -- to score prizes such as free burgers or movie tickets. The more times patrons check in, the better their prize selection will be.

The wait staff at this hot pot-style restaurant in Jianen, China are never rude, and they don't accept tips. Because they're robots. Dalu Robot Restaurant's custom-built robots serve customers following pre-programmed paths around the restaurant. And there's no need to watch your step: the robots have built-in motion sensors that allow them to stop moving when they detect someone in their way.