It’s hard to believe, but Flippy, the robot that’s purpose-built to work in fast food kitchens, has been on the job for almost three years now. And it sounds like you’re going to start seeing Flippy in a lot more restaurants very soon.
That’s because the cost to build the robots has plummeted. When Miso Robotics set out to create their first units, off-the-shelf robotic arms sold for upwards of $100,000. Today, they’re going for about $10,000 according to Sam Dean of the LA Times.
With the company’s cost to build Flippy dropping so dramatically Miso is now offering the robots on a subscription plan. For just $2,000 a month, restaurateurs can add one to oversee operation of the grill or fryer.
Divide that cost over the operating hours of a typical fast food joint and employers are looking at a paltry $3 an hour to “hire” Flippy. As appealing as that price tag is, there’s more to it than just saving a few bucks.
The fast food industry has always had a hard time retaining kitchen staff, and there’s a massive shortage of workers right now. Dean notes that there were over 800,000 openings at the end of last year.
$2,000 a month to guarantee that a station is “manned” should make Flippy subscriptions a no-brainer for any moderately successful restaurant that’s had to scramble to keep the kitchen running smoothly. Since Flippy is rated for 100,000 hours of continuous operation, blown shifts won’t be an issue — nor will on-the-the-job injuries.
There’s another reason you might be seeing more of Flippy in the near future. As you can see, a two-Flippy unit takes up a fair amount of floor space. That’s why Miso is currently working on a new version that mounts to rails on the ceiling, which will free up essential floor space in smaller kitchens.
Images courtesy Miso Robotics
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