As automation continues to revolutionize food service and delivery, customers can expect to see new and exciting advancements in delivery services and restaurants.
In this article, we show you how some of the latest technologies such as robots, drones, and cooking automation will shape the future of restaurants and food delivery services.
1. Autonomous Delivery Robots
Self-driving autonomous robots have been delivering food in local areas for years, but DoorDash’s acquisition of Scotty Labs may expand their reach.
DoorDash food delivery service began testing robot-based deliveries in select locations throughout the United States in 2019.
Its robots, which travel at 4 miles per hour, can carry up to 22 pounds of food. When the delivery robot arrives at its destination, it texts a link to the customer, allowing them to open the compartment and retrieve their food order.
Recently, however, Doordash acquired Scotty Labs, a startup whose focus lies in developing autonomous and remote-controlled vehicle technology.
Neither Scotty Labs nor DoorDash has officially announced the specific technology they’ll work on. We expect to see advancements in driverless deliveries, including delivery robots, remote-controlled delivery devices, and autonomous vehicle delivery models.
2. The Rise of Delivery Drones
At last year’s Forbes Under 30 summit, Uber unveiled its design for a drone that’s able to deliver one meal for two people.
The drone’s travel abilities are limited to 18 miles, including the distance to the restaurant, customer, and back to launch area.
Uber drones are still in the testing stages, and the company is considering several options on how to best utilize them.
For example, the drones can land on cars driven by human delivery drivers.
Another possibility Uber is testing includes drones delivering meals to staging areas where they would be picked up by human drivers for last-mile delivery.
Uber hopes its drone deliveries will help the company to better reach customers in dense urban areas where traffic and overcrowding make efficient delivery a challenge.
3. Automated Cooking in Restaurants
Restaurant automation is slowly making its way into the mainstream with pizza, hamburger, and stir-fried meals cooked by robots.
For example, Seattle-based startup Picnic developed automated technology that cooks up to 300 twelve-inch pizzas per hour.
The pizza robot can cater to large crowds such as in stadiums and cafeterias.
Picnic’s machine could also benefit normal pizza restaurants that serve an average of 250 pies a day, allowing the establishment to be run by one person instead of an entire staff.
Miso Robotics, a Pasadena-based startup, introduced an automated burger flipper that can take over the traditional role of a short-order cook.
For now, Miso’s automation, called “Flippy,” requires human assistance. In the future, though, its robots may learn other skills that could potentially replace human cooks.
Boston’s Spyce Kitchen takes automated cooking to a new level by allowing machines to take orders and cook full meals.
Spyce Kitchen’s menu consists of grain and vegetable-based bowls such as a chickpea and tomato-based Morracon bowl and a black bean and chili Latin bowl, all flavored with aromatic international spices.
Customers order their meals at kiosks, then watch as the machine prepares their dinner.
Machines heat the woks to the perfect temperature and use time sensors to cook and sear each meal’s ingredients before dropping them into serving bowls.
Spyce Kitchen CEO and cofounder Kale Rogers believe that by removing repetitive tasks such as manual cooking, the staff can focus more on hospitality aspects, such as “chatting with customers, adding finishing touches and handing the food to people with a smile.”
Delivery and Food Technology Is Advancing Quickly
Automated delivery vehicles, such as robots and drones, will help cook and deliver restaurant meals more efficiently in the future.
Automated cooking intelligence and machinery is advancing rapidly, and may help restaurants provide better, more consistent service to customers.
