
What Silicon Valley doesn't get about robotics automation - whatthe91
https://www.junction43.co/blog/silicon-valley-robotics-automation
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daotoad
What people fail to notice that high throughput restaurant applications
already use a lot of automation.

Your Starbucks barista isn't carefully timing the blend on your frappucino.
Nope, the scoop stuff into a blender and hit the frap button. McDonalds has
all sorts of specialized cooking equipment that removes judgment and
streamlines the process of preparing meals. A great example is the automatic
drinks filler with its conveyor belt full of cups.

This represents the low hanging fruit for automation.

It's surprisingly tricky to make machines that don't mutilate workers in the
vicinity and can handle all the weirdness that reality presents, even if it is
only in the reduced scope of "how to make a hamburger". Throwing a robotic
"elbow" into someone can be pretty damaging, working safely with knives and
cooking temperature devices is even harder.

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nabla9
Instead of automating, making customers to do the work seems to be more
effective way to reduce workforce in hyperlocal markets.

Things like self-service checkout, customers pouring beverages themselves,
vending machines etc. have become more common as time goes buy. It's minimal
automation that helps customers to serve themselves.

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whatthe91
I completely agree - it's a much more cost-effective solution than 6-axis
robotic arms doing the work!

