The Burger-Flipping Robot That Could Put Fast-Food Workers Out Of A Job

It is this type of press releases that make me ashamed of being part of this industry. I think we have done some good in the world, but for the most part, we are parasites of the larger system.

I went to read the actual contents with the idea that it might have some redeeming qualities, like the synergy that can be achieved by keeping less personnel in a smaller kitchen aided by this techno-wonder, allowing existing businesses to make better use of limited real state or expand to other lines of businesses (think gourmet hamburgers delivered at your doorstep)... but instead I found this little gem:

'Momentum Machines cofounder Alexandros Vardakostas told Xconomy his "device isn’t meant to make employees more efficient. It’s meant to completely obviate them."'

Why would you want to deprive the world of uniquely talented engineers and put them to work in creating a machine that provides the world with yet another form of overcapacity automation in times of record high unemployment? You just managed to squeeze both the restaurant owner and the personnel of their money... why would they want to pay you for this?

Most likely because your business plan really involves squeezing early investors out of their money with a product that looks great on paper but does not solve any real problem in the real world...

Robo-burgers my...

The key question isn't if it makes a better burger than the average burger cook - it certainly has capabilities to be better in some areas, and recipes/ingredients can be tuned to make the product fit it's strong sides.

But - is it really cheaper than a minimum wage employee?

If the costs are comparable, it might get some traction, but a limited one - for example, I got a burger today in a rather off-peak time, and a single person was easily running the shop at the time, accepting orders, taking cash, and making the food. Such a scenario would offer a grand total savings of $0 for some shops, as someone would still have to be around; but it can replace some labor in shops with larger volume.

Now, if it'd be comparable in price to a restaurant-grade oven or coffee machine, that would mean disruption - but is it?

The only part of this robot I'm skeptical of is the "grind-on-demand" portion. As someone who regularly grinds my own chuck to make hamburgers, I've learned that in order to get a consistent, even mix between fat and meat, it's absolutely critical to grind the entire roast (actually it's ground twice), and then mix to evenly distribute things.

If this were truly grind-on-demand, it would be quite hard to guarantee a consistent product (which is a hallmark of most fast food restaurants).

I wonder how much this thing costs? It's missing a special sauce dispenser. I'll admit my stomach did grumble when looking at the gallery. I appreciated a toasted bun.