AUTOMATION: Flippy the Burger Flipping Robot Is Now Cooking at the CaliBurger Fast Food Chain.
Flippy is a brand new, burger flipping robot now cooking at a chain called CaliBurger, which serves up California style burgers and fries.
“The key to success in the restaurant industry is consistency. So anytime you go to a CaliBurger anywhere you know that the patty will be cooked exactly the same,” said John Miller, CEO of Cali Group, the company that runs the chain.
The robot was developed by a subsidiary called Miso Robotics.
So how does it work? Before Flippy can get started, it needs a little human help. A co-worker puts raw patties on the grill.
“The kitchen of the future will always have people in it, but we see that kitchen as having people and robots,” said David Zito, co-founder and chief executive officer of Miso Robotics.
“This technology is not about replacing jobs – we see Flippy as that third hand,” said Zito.
That’s a nice thing to say, but the minimum wage in California was just raised to $11, and is set to rise to $15 for large companies like CaliBurger in just four years.