The next time you walk into a restaurant, you may not be served by a human waiter. 

Technological revolution is happening in the service sector with the advent of  new and advanced robot technologies, drones, and AI. 

According to the International Organization for Standardization, “a ‘service robot’ is a robot that performs useful tasks for humans.”  

These robots could provide a  solution to the current shortage of employees in the food service industry.

As of now, popular food chain restaurants such as Chipotle, Panera, Buffalo Wild Wings, and many others have been implementing robot technology in their businesses. 

One of the leading food production tech companies is Miso Robotics. 

Miso Robotics has stepped up to offer solutions “to man” the food industry.

One model is the Flippy 2, which uses AI technology to identify the type of food it needs to pick up and cook.

These robots are being utilized as fry cooks at 100 White Castle locations. 

Along with Flippy 2, Miso Robotics has also developed an AI program called the “CookRight Coffee” system for Panera.

This technology analyzes coffee volume and temperature to create  the perfect cup of coffee without error.

Though only two Panera locations are testing currently, use of this technology will be expanded to their other branches depending on the success of the trials . 

Food production is not the only part of the food industry that has felt the impacts of this novel robotic touch.

On one University of Idaho campus, robots from Starship Technologies deliver food from several Idaho Eats locations.

The campus robot is able to carry the equivalent of about three shopping bags of groceries, and students can even use their dining dollars to access this convenient service. 

Similarly, Kiwibots have been introduced to the Brandeis University campus.

According to the Wicked Local News, the Kiwibot weighs “about 50 pounds, and can reach a top speed of 10mph.”

It also has sensors to enable identification of  humans or any other nearby obstacles along with the ability to travel along pre-programmed routes.

As the Kiwibot provides a more college-student friendly  alternative to popular food delivery services like DoorDash and Uber Eats, it brings hungry college students food from a variety of different on-campus dining options. 

Taking things to another scale is the  Flytrex, a drone delivery service, that has extended their method of  their deliveries to the skies.

Brinker International, owner of Chili’s and Maggiano’s Little Italy, stated that “It is very focused on the guest experience as we test our innovation efforts and work with Flytrex and Serve Robotics.” 

By delivering directly from restaurants to customers’ backyard, Flytrex has reduced both time and cost for restaurant patrons. 

Perhaps one of the most notable influences of technology in  restaurants, however, is the presence of  food servers.

Bear Robotics has created a robot fittingly named, “Servi” for senior living.

As an independent mobile robot that runs beverages and food, Servi can navigate by itself or work in a fleet with other robots. 

So far, Servi has delivered over 28 million tables and traveled over 335,000 miles.

The friendly robot has been added to the White Horse Village Senior Living center, as well as the Simpson Senior Services Communities, offering a valuable service to the dining halls of these senior centers. 

However, like with most modern technological innovations, the advancements made in this sector have undoubtedly presented  several concerns One of the major areas of concern being  job displacement.

As these robots replace rote manual labor, restaurants may start hiring less minimum-wage employees. 

Another concern is the obvious lack of emotions in robots for hospitality services.

Although these service robots can display surface-level expressions, they lack the capacity for reacting to situations outside of their programmed data. 

Despite these concerns, the benefits of robots in the food industry seem to outweigh possible negative consequences.

The significance of increased efficiency in restaurants and additional comfort for customers, especially those who need mobility or language assistance, cannot be overlooked. 

With the swift growing trend of this market, the future seems bright for food service robotics technology. 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeonwoo Kim
Grade 9
Crean Lutheran High School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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