QSR Chain CaliBurger to roll out burger flipping robot

Restaurant Chain CaliBurger - a 21st-century revival of the classic California burger joint - is introducing robotics in its kitchens starting early 2018: an AI driven robot named 'Flippy', primarily tasked with flipping burgers, so was announced today by Miso Robotics and the Cali Group.

Flippy is an artificial intelligence-driven robot that will work alongside kitchen staff to grill burgers at CaliBurger restaurants. Flippy had its debut at the CaliBurger location in Pasadena, California. A video demonstration captured the robotic kitchen assistant flipping burgers and placing them on buns. Flippy will roll out in early 2018 and expand to more than 50 CaliBurger restaurants worldwide by the end of 2019.

Miso Robotics is pioneering the use of computer vision and deep learning software to bring low-cost, adaptable robotics into restaurants. The company's collaborative kitchen assistant handles the hazardous, tedious and time-sensitive aspects of grilling and cooks burgers to perfection every time. It easily integrates into CaliBurger's current kitchen layout without needing to reconfigure existing equipment.

While artificial intelligence is being successfully tested and employed to drive cars, manage the home and message with customers, Miso Robotics is the first company to bring robotics and AI into the kitchen in a meaningful way.

David Zito, CEO of Miso Robotics:

"Much like self-driving vehicles, our system continuously learns from its experiences to improve over time.”

“Though we are starting with the relatively 'simple' task of cooking burgers, our proprietary AI software allows our kitchen assistants to be adaptable and therefore can be trained to help with almost any dull, dirty or dangerous task in a commercial kitchen — whether it's frying chicken, cutting vegetables or final plating."

According to the National Association of Restaurants, consumers are spending more on food outside the home than ever before. Yet despite rapid growth, the restaurant industry is plagued with inefficiencies. In 2016, turnover of restaurant workers reached an all time high at 113%.

John Miller, Chairman of Cali Group:

"The application of artificial intelligence to robotic systems that work next to our employees in CaliBurger restaurants will allow us to make food faster, safer and with fewer errors.”

“Our investment in Miso Robotics is part of our broader vision for creating a unified operating system that will control all aspects of a restaurant from in-store interactive gaming entertainment to automated ordering and cooking processes, 'intelligent' food delivery and real-time detection of operating errors and pathogens."

The integration of Miso Robotics into CaliBurger's kitchens will allow the chain to redeploy some of its staff to the dining room to engage more with customers. CaliBurger will also collaborate with Miso Robotics to retrain certain staff to operate Flippy.