They are coming! Robots to soon replace fast-food workers

Photo Credit: Playbuzz

By Elizabeth Ogunbamowo

A burger-flipping robot, Flippy, has been adopted by a restaurant in Pasadena, Los Angeles. The robot started its first-shift work in the first of dozens of locations of the CaliBurger restaurant yesterday.

The robot has been described as one designed to replace one of the economy’s most popular unskilled job.  According to a report, Flippy uses image recognition and heat-sensing tech to know which burgers need flipping and can handle up to 12 burgers at once.

John Miller, Chief Executive, Cali Group said that Flippy is destined to replace human fast-food workers. He opined that there would be changes in the way workers are hired and the types of jobs available adding that it is possible for there to be lesser human employees in the restaurants of the future

Currently, Flippy is being installed in 50 locations run by California-based chain CaliBurger. Each robot is priced at $60, 000 and costs a further $12,000 to run. Speaking further on the importance of the robot in the system, Miller said, “It is not fun job right? It’s greasy; it’s dirty; it hurts your wrists, people come in and we train them which is a significant expense. They work for a few weeks and then they leave. But the robotic system makes a perfectly consistent burger.”

Mr. Miller however revealed that at present the robot still needs human assistance as it still makes mistakes no human would ever make.

Reacting to the above statement, David D. Zito, CEO of Miso robotics stated that the robotic system would get better by and by.

John Miller averred that a time would come when it would be odd to walk into a restaurant that lacks robotic technology as the safety and security of the meals would be questioned.