Developed by startup Cafe X, the device is able to brew a cup of coffee by taking orders directly from customers. Will it replace humans?
Robotic arms are certainly not new in the world of work. In fact, they have been employed for years, especially in the automotive industry. And it is just from a visit to the headquarters of Volkswagen in Wolfsburg that a group of boys came up with the idea of using them to make coffee.
The startup Cafe X has in fact created an intelligent mechanical arm that is able to prepare a good cup of the most popular drink of the Italians. It is, as mentioned, a robot also able to take orders from customers. So a sort of bartender in all respects with the advantage that, according to what the small company that developed the smart machine claims, it is much more efficient. The robot, in fact, can produce from 100 to 120 cups of coffee every hour. There is not even the risk that the arm commits one of the most common mistakes in which normal bartenders run into: confusing one order with another.
How the mechanical arm that makes coffee works
(Taken from Facebook)
Gordon, this is the name that the startup has given to the smart mechanical arm, is therefore a robot that one day could work in bars side by side with humans. The device also has other interesting features. One of the most hated tasks for a barman is to wash the coffee machine at the end of the day. Instead, the robot is able to clean itself almost in perfect autonomy. But how does it work? To drink one of the good cups of coffee prepared by Gordon there is no need to shout: “waiter, a coffee please?”. In fact, it will be sufficient to place the order through the application made available by Cafe X. Alternatively, you can use the touch displays mounted directly on the smart coffee machine.
A quality coffee
This is not the first time the startup has tried to build a mechanical barman. In fact, in 2013 the company also developed a sort of automated kiosk. Gordon, however, is a device that is also beautiful to look at while at work. The intelligent mechanical arm is also attentive to the quality of the product. Like a regular barman, it adapts the coffee to the temperature and humidity. In addition, the device has different coffee blends available provided by local producers. One question at this point arises: will it completely replace ordinary, imperfect humans? According to the startup, the answer is no. Customers will always need a Cafe X employee to explain to them how the mechanical arm works.
Gordon, however, has a flaw: for now, the robotic barman is available, in fact, only in two locations: San Francisco and Hong Hong.