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Burger Flipping Robot - Flippy ROAR - Selling for $30,000

Catwell

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Flippy ROAR is attached to a rail under the kitchen hood, allowing it to move around. It's convenient because it stays out of a worker's way. (Image Credit: Miso Robotics)

 

Whenever I see this type of innovation, I can’t help but think of the people it’ll displace. I suppose it’s inevitable though… Very much like elevator operators before automation came to the operation. Will thins automation end up taking over everything? Will there be any place for human work? I’m spiraling into dystopian thoughts. Moving on…

 

Flippy Robot-on-a-Rail (ROAR), a burger-flipping bot developed by Miso Robotics, is already being utilized in fast-food restaurants, assisting busy cooks. Now, Miso Robotics is selling Flippy for $30,000, intending to bring the price down to $20,000 in the future. Eateries can hire the robot for $1,500 a month, a fee that includes upgrades and maintenance. It's also less expensive than hiring humans to do the same task.

 

Similar to its predecessor, Flippy ROAR is designed to automate food preparation, which handles anything on the fryer and grill. It's attached to a rail under the kitchen hood to move around from one workstation to another. What's more impressive is that it has a growing set of culinary skills. The robot uses ChefUI software to identify food and temperature. Flippy also has a set of cameras (Intel 3D depth-sensor and a thermal camera) to help it move around and perform the required prep work. A robotic arm holds a spatula and clutches baskets of food to fry.

 

Flippy ROAR is capable of cooking 19 food items and flipping burgers. The robot recently learned to cook the plant-based Impossible Burger, which requires special handling due to its texture and thickness. It also performs grill maintenance tasks such as removing excess oil, skimming oil between batches, and scraping off burnt grime. The AI system has been trained to identify food and fry it by using hot oil. Such food includes chicken tenders, tater tots, hash browns, French fries, potato wedges, chicken wings, popcorn shrimp, onion rings, and waffle fries. 

 

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Human workers can control the robot by using the 15.6" LED touchscreen screen. (Image Credit: Miso Robotics)

 

The overhead rail, which can be installed overnight, is designed to keep the robot out of the way when busy workers are moving around, increasing safety. Miso Robotics says the robot's software has been upgraded, which is used by the kitchen staff to control the robot through the 15.6" LED touchscreen. A combination of cameras and safety scanners allow Flippy ROAR to prepare hundreds of orders an hour, obtaining and cooking frozen food without human assistance. It also alerts nearby workers when orders are ready to be served. Flippy ROAR is expected to be operational in 50 CaliBurger locations.

 

Miso Robotics says that Flippy ROAR and its predecessor improve productivity by working with humans instead of replacing them.

 

While robots like Flippy ROAR can boost productivity in the workplace by allowing human workers to perform specialized tasks, their implementation can make work tougher for employees. A report on automation within Amazon's warehouses found that even though robots increased productivity, human workers got injured from trying to keep up with the machines.

 

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