Lots of automatic coffee makers but this is self-service robotics handling all of the ordering, creation, and delivery of the product. Includes a nice video.
Automation Comes To The Coffeehouse With Robotic Baristas
by David J. Hill May 9th, 2012 | Comments (1)
It may not look like a barista is in this box, but Briggo's robot is inside prepping the next espresso shot.
Say goodbye to lattes with funky tastes or attitude from coffeehouse baristas. At the University of Texas, a startup called BriggoLLC has installed a coffee kiosk run by a robotic barista in the academic center, which is visited by 10,000 students a day. Designed by Deaton Engineering Inc., the kiosk is segmented into brewed coffee and espresso drinks, and the drinks can also be prepared according to customer milk, syrup, and sweetener preferences. According to founder and CTO Charles Studor, inside the kiosk is a "big industrial machine" with about 250 sensors that mirrors the physical motions of a human barista.
With this new "robista", as its called, Briggo aims to meet the two biggest needs of coffee drinkers: convenience and quality.
To get their java jolt, students submit an order online, via mobile, or at the kiosk, and can even receive a text or email when the drink is ready. The brewed coffees take 15-30 seconds to prepare while espresso drinks require about 2 minutes. So customers can easily submit an order and then head to the kiosk to pick up their coffee just as its completed. Each coffee is labeled with the customer's name and also displayed on the kiosk. Prices are cheaper than typical coffeehouse prices, and kiosk operators still oversee the flow and refill stock.
The touch menu offers a variety of coffee drinks with prices and prep times listed.
With patents pending, the robot remains behind closed doors, but according to Sprudge, an actual espresso machine is used with a real tamper and steam wind, along with a milk refrigerator. Since the espresso machine hasn't been re-engineered, in all likelihood Briggo's automation may be much closer to a "true" robot than what's going on inside a vending machine.
Still, the question that probably matters the most is, how does it perform? Feedback has been positive, with good reviews popping up in the press and even Wired. A YouTube video shows students talking about Briggo very positively:
