Wanted: Robot cooks to reduce spread of COVID-19

Blender is an autonomous and contactless robotic kiosk that prepares customizable smoothies. It offers a completely safer experience to consumers, allowing for business continuity during pandemics without shutting down food service.

Flippy, developed by a startup, brings industrial automation to the quick-serve restaurant industry. The demand for this technology has increased exponentially since the pandemic. It is viewed as an empowerment for teams, freeing them up for hospitality, rather than a replacement for workers.

Sally is a robotic alternative for making customized meals, effectively replacing traditional salad bars in cafeterias. This food automation is being accelerated by COVID-19 as people are concerned about human involvement with their food and the spread of disease.

The video raises questions about the kind of food system we want and the implications of automating people out of it. It suggests that automating the act of cooking, preparing, presenting, and sharing food could lead to a loss of the personal, familial, cultural, and historical aspects inherent to a meal and its experience.