A company in California is making robots for fast-food restaurants that cook food like French fries.
The Flippy 2 robot created by Miso Robotics Inc has recently become available.
Flippy 2 is a robotic arm that uses cameras and AI to take frozen foods out of a freezer, dip them into hot oil and put them into a serving tray.
Flippy 2 can help businesses reduce staff and save money. Miso Robotics says that the robot can cook several different types of foods simultaneously which speeds up food preparation.
Mike Bell, the chief executive of Miso Robotics explained how the system works. A food order is entered in the restaurant system and then automatically sent to Flippy 2. Bell says that Flippy works faster, more accurately, more reliably and happier than most humans.
Flippy 2 was in development for five years and has just become commercially available. It’s named after an earlier robot called ‘Flippy’ that was designed to flip burgers.
Bell says that the robot attracts a lot of attention from customers when it’s first installed in a restaurant, they want to take pictures and ask questions. But, when the customers come back a second time, they don’t seem to care.
Engineers from Miso Robotics can watch Flippy 2 robots in action at restaurants from their office. This allows them to solve any problems that come up. Some popular American burger restaurants, such as Jack in the Box, White Castle and CaliBurger have already started using the robot.
Bell says that there are other famous fast-food chains in the US using Flippy 2, but they don’t want to advertise it. Some people think it’s not fair that robots might be taking jobs away from humans.
VOCABULARY
- AI (artificial intelligence) – human intelligence in a machine. See more here.
- Freezer – a large container or part of a refrigerator with a temperature below 0ºC
- Dip – to put or let something down quickly and pick up (dip a cookie into milk)
- Tray – a flat or thin container, similar to a plate, used to serve food or drinks
- Reduce – to make smaller, to make less, to make down
- Simultaneously – at the same time; at once; in parallel
- Chief executive – someone in a high management position; director; head;
- Accurately – correctly; exactly
- Reliably – normally good; can be trusted; dependable
- Development – to work on something to make it grow; process of building
- Commercially – connected to business; in relation to buying and selling of goods and services
- Named after – to give something/someone the same name as a different thing
- Attract attention – To cause somebody to notice or become interested in someone or something; to be noticable and interesting
- Install – to put something in place so that it is ready to use; to set up for use or service
- Engineer – a person who designs, builds, and/or maintains engines, machines, buildings, etc.
- In action – in an active state; doing something; moving; engaged in an activity; working
- Solve – to find an answer; to find an explanation; to create a way to fix a problem; answer; work out
- Fair – to follow or go by the rules or standards; honorable; proper; agreeing with what is thought to be right or acceptable;
Original story from Reuters below:
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
