The San Francisco-based robotics startup, Momentum Machines, is trying to revolutionize the fast food industry with an automated burger-making machine.
The company plans to launch the first ever "smart restaurant" where all of the cooking is done by robots.
“Our alpha machine replaces all of the hamburger line cooks in a restaurant," Momentum Machines' website explains. "It does everything employees can do except better.”
And at a fraction of the cost.
The company promises that the machine pays for itself within a year and eradicates the need for a cooking staff. The labor savings allows restaurants to spend more money on high quality ingredients, ultimately boosting the status of fast food burgers up to gourmet quality.
Aside from shaping and cooking the meat patties, the machine slices toppings, assembles the burger, and even bags up orders for waiting customers.
As an added bonus, the robot can also customize orders, whether than means grinding meat to one's specifications or piling on extra toppings.
Capable of producing approximately 360 burgers an hour, the machine takes up only 24 square feet, allowing for more spacious seating areas and more time spent improving the overall dining experience.
"Fast food doesn’t have to have a negative connotation anymore. With our technology, a restaurant can offer gourmet quality burgers at fast food prices," Momentum Machines says.
Here's a diagram:
