- Miso Robotics’ kitchen robot, Flippy, just became available to purchase for $30,000.
- Flippy can cook 19 items, including burgers and hash browns.
- Flippy works as a kitchen assistant, moving along a rail.
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Robots can flip burgers and fry sides, and Miso Robotics is selling its burger-flipping robot as the perfect fry cook for the COVID-19 era.
Robot assistant Flippy just became commercially available for $30,000, or on a payment plan, with plans to eventually lower the price. Flippy is attached to a rail under the kitchen hood to move back and forth while manning the grill and fryer.
“After we shared a sneak peek of the prototype in January, we’ve seen demand through the roof from operators, especially in light of COVID-19” Miso Robotics CEO Mike Bell said in a press release. The coronavirus pandemic has hit restaurants hard, but fast-food chains have recovered faster with the drive-thru and takeout business not relying on indoor dining, compared to fast-casual chains.
During the pandemic, fast food employees have become essential workers, and labor issues like lack of paid sick time and low wages were thrown into the spotlight. Robots like Flippy in the kitchen could keep fast food locations competitive despite “smaller margins, less foot traffic and new health and safety concerns,” Miso says.
Here’s how Flippy works.