Pasadena Company Introduces 2nd Generation Robotic Kitchen Assistant

Miso Robotics’ Flippy 2 robotic kitchen assistant, pictured in an undated photo provided by the Pasadena-based company.

Miso Robotics in Pasadena on Tuesday unveiled Flippy 2, a new and improved version of its automated kitchen assistant.

The “faster and more customizable” version of the original Flippy device was designed with input from a pilot program in partnership with the White Castle hamburger chain, Miso Robotics said in a written statement.

“Flippy 2 takes over the work for an entire fry station and performs more than twice as many food preparation tasks compared to the previous version including basket filling, emptying and returning,” according to the statement.

Company CEO Mike Bell said the robot was greatly improved through the trial at White Castle restaurants.

“Like all technologies, Flippy 2 has evolved significantly from its predecessor, and we are extremely grateful for the insights collected from White Castle to truly push its development forward in a real restaurant environment,” Bell said.

“Since Flippy’s inception, our goal has always been to provide a customizable solution that can function harmoniously with any kitchen and without disruption,” Bell added. “Flippy 2 has more than 120 configurations built into its technology and is the only robotic fry station currently being produced at scale.”

White Castle has also benefited from the trial, White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson said.

“We learned so much from Flippy and our partnership with Miso Robotics,” he said. “It’s amazing to see the future of how we provide even better service and even more hot and tasty food to our craving customers happening right before us in real time.”

Flippy 2 is significantly smaller than its predecessor, according to Miso. It uses artificial intelligence to identify food products and cook them properly.

“[It] makes the fry station, even at peak times, less than a full-time task and allows team members to focus on other important duties,” the statement said.

The robot is intended to help restaurant workers, not replace them, the company said.

“Back-of-house positions at quick-service restaurants have historically been labor-intensive, physically demanding and can be hazardous given the proximity to hot oil and grills in compact kitchens,” according to the statement. “Flippy 2 looks to alleviate these pain points and create a better working environment for its human coworkers, while also maximizing the efficiency of the kitchen.”

More information on Miso Robotics can be found on the company’s website at misorobotics.com.

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