Flippy, the $30,000 automated robot fast-food cook, is now for sale with 'demand through the roof' — see how it grills burgers and fries onion rings

Team Member Next to Flippy ROAR at the Fryer_3
Flippy. Miso Robotics
  • Miso Robotics' kitchen robot, Flippy, just became available to purchase for $30,000.
  • Flippy can cook 19 items, including burgers and hash browns.
  • Flippy works as a kitchen assistant, moving along a rail.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Advertisement

Robots can flip burgers and fry sides, and Miso Robotics is selling its burger-flipping robot as the perfect fry cook for the COVID-19 era.

Robot assistant Flippy just became commercially available for $30,000, or on a payment plan, with plans to eventually lower the price. Flippy is attached to a rail under the kitchen hood to move back and forth while manning the grill and fryer.

"After we shared a sneak peek of the prototype in January, we've seen demand through the roof from operators, especially in light of COVID-19" Miso Robotics CEO Mike Bell said in a press release. The coronavirus pandemic has hit restaurants hard, but fast-food chains have recovered faster with the drive-thru and takeout business not relying on indoor dining, compared to fast-casual chains.

During the pandemic, fast food employees have become essential workers, and labor issues like lack of paid sick time and low wages were thrown into the spotlight. Robots like Flippy in the kitchen could keep fast food locations competitive despite "smaller margins, less foot traffic and new health and safety concerns," Miso says.

Advertisement

Here's how Flippy works.

Advertisement

Miso first introduced Flippy at the grill in 2018, as the first burger flipping robot in the world. It could grill 150 burgers each hour.

Flippys_Kitchen
Flippy. Miso Robotics

The first version of Flippy could detect when raw patties were placed on the grill and monitor them to cook to order. It also cleaned spatulas and scraped the grill in between burgers.

Flippy_Scraping
Flippy. Miso Robotics
Advertisement

Later that year, Flippy also gained the ability to work as a frying assistant, piloted at Dodger Stadium.

Flippy at Fryer_Model 2.0
Flippy. Miso Robotics

Flippy was able to place baskets in the fryer, shake baskets in oil, and monitor for appropriate cooking time to make chicken tenders and tots.

Flippy ROAR[1]
Flippy. Miso Robotics
Advertisement

In January 2020, Miso announced an updated Flippy operating while attached to a rail.

Team Member Next to Flippy ROAR at the Fryer_3
Flippy. Miso Robotics

The design was created to assist busy cooks in a quick-service kitchen, installed under a kitchen hood to move along equipment while staying out of the staff's way.

FlippyROAR_IMAGE
Flippy. Miso Robotics
Advertisement

By 2020, Flippy had contracts with Dodger Stadium, Chase Field, and multiple CaliBurger locations.

Flippy White Castle robot
Courtesy of White Castle

In 2019, Flippy served more than 15,000 burgers and over 31,000 lbs of chicken tenders and tots.

White Castle Menu Items_Fried by Flippy_2.JPG
Flippy. Miso Robotics
Advertisement

In July, burger chain White Castle announced a partnership with Flippy.

White Castle Menu Items_Fried by Flippy
Flippy. Miso Robotics

In the midst of a pandemic, implementing Flippy is also a way to reduce human contact with food before it is served, and hopefully, also reduce virus transmission.

Flippy White Castle robot
Courtesy of White Castle
Advertisement

For further food safety, Miso teamed up with Pathspot Technologies, which can scan employees' hands after washing to ensure that they are safe to handle food.

01 Front view of Flippy station 2
Flippy. Miso Robotics

Advances in Flippy and its AI technology have made it work better with human staff while taking over some of the most dangerous jobs, like frying.

02 Front view of Flippy station with kitchen staff.JPG
Flippy. Miso Robotics
Advertisement

ChefUI, Miso's proprietary software, can identify food types and temperatures, and learn new foods.

03 View through protective glass.JPG
Flippy. Miso Robotics

A monitor on the robot tells the staff what orders are up next, and staff can also adjust cooking times here for custom orders.

05 Flippy monitor close up.JPG
Flippy. Miso Robotics
Advertisement

All these advancements made Flippy more sophisticated, and it can now cook 19 foods including burgers, chicken wings, onion rings, and more.

01 Front view of Flippy station.JPG
Flippy. Miso Robotics

Updates have also allowed Flippy to properly cook the Impossible Burger, which has a different texture and thickness than a traditional burger, so it requires a different grilling technique.

04 Close up of Flippy arm.JPG
Flippy. Miso Robotics
Advertisement

Flippy is able to be completely washed down, and tools are automatically switched and cleaned too.

06 Flippy in maintenance.JPG
Flippy. Miso Robotics

Miso touts Flippy's ability to cook a menu item consistently over and over again, the key to the fast-food chain experience.

07 Flippy happy customer.JPG
Flippy. Miso Robotics
Retail Fast Food AI
Advertisement
Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.