Everyone would like their own Rosie the Robot to cook their dinner without lifting a finger. Hell, we’d even settle for a robot with a bit of a drinking problem to just hang out with. A group of engineering students at MIT are starting to make that a reality. Although it doesn’t have the look of Rosie, Bender, or Johnny Five, the Spyce Kitchen “employs” a robot to cook all of its meals.
Michael Farid, Braden Knight, Luke Schlueter, and Kale Rogers (perfect name for a guy in the food business) developed the idea for Spyce Kitchen; a fully-automated restaurant with a refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, and of course a head chef who is a robot. The restaurant only takes up a mere 20 square feet at MIT’s dining hall. Hungry and curious students order their food via smartphone app or through a tablet at the restaurant. Currently, Spyce has 5 menu options that sound a lot better than what you get through your local drive-through including Shrimp andouille jambalaya, chicken-bacon sweet potato hash, winter veggie mac and cheese, chili-lime beef with sesame rice, and chickpea coconut curry on couscous. Diners can also customize their order as well and their meals take about 5 minutes to prepare.
The guys behind Spyce just won a prestigious award for their invention and are looking to expand the restaurant into other university dining halls. Though according to Tech Insider, the concept has to receive FDA and USDA approval before they have the green light to do so. We might not be ready for a fast-food robot revolution just yet, but we’re closer than you think.
(Via: Tech Insider)