Skip to main content

Cooking burgers may not be a human job for much longer if Flippy has its way

Flippy will soon make its way into 50 CaliBurger locations thanks to new funding

FLIPPY | Miso Robotics

It’s never been a particularly sought-after job, but now it appears that flipping burgers may not be a task for humans at all. Meet Flippy, a new “robotic kitchen assistant” from Miso Robotics that, as its name suggests, will automate the process of cooking those juicy patties. And Flippy is apparently quite sought after itself — Miso Robotics has just raised another $10 million, bringing the company’s total disclosed funding to $14 million, and boosting its goal of delivering the robot to a total of 50 CaliBurger locations.

Recommended Videos

The new $10 million funding round will also help bring Miso Robotics’ AI platform into other epicurean applications. As Zito noted, “The proceeds for this will allow us to build a robotic kitchen assistant. You’re not going to see BB-8 coming out of our shop; you’ll likely see us continue to refine this — the general hardware platform that we have, but then we will see it beginning to get more collaborative and adaptable.”

As for Flippy, the existing robot, this new kitchen assistant promises to be “portable, collaborative, and adaptable,” and “designed for real working kitchens.” The bot is a cart-like contraption that comes with a six-axis robotic arm and a “sensor bar.” Simply set up Flippy next to a standard grill or fryer, and it will detect necessary data from a thermal sensor, 3D sensors, and various cameras to help it detect its surroundings. It can even take your food orders directly thanks to a system that sends a ticket from the cashier straight to the kitchen.

While Flippy may not have the creativity of a chef, it does pretty well as a line cook. It’s capable of unwrapping burger patties, placing them on the grill, keeping tabs on the meat’s cook time and temperature, and letting its human counterparts know when they are ready to be taken off the heat. Of course, it still needs some help from our species, as Flippy isn’t (yet) able to add condiments or wrap up the finished products.

But Flippy is certainly pretty smart. Because it employs Miso Robotics’ artificial intelligence software, this robot is continuously learning and absorbing new recipes, which means that it can be helpful no matter what is on the menu. Still, if you’re looking to go to culinary school, don’t let Flippy discourage you. “Tasting food and creating recipes will always be the purview of a chef. And restaurants are gathering places where we go to interact with each other,” Zito concluded. “Humans will always play a very critical role in the hospitality side of the business given the social aspects of food. We just don’t know what the new roles will be yet in the industry.”

Update: Miso Robotics just raised $10 million to bring Flippy to more restaurants. 

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Save up to 30% on this Joe Manganiello endorsed robot pool cleaner
man relaxing while beatbot cleans his pool

Summer is almost here and if your pool is still being cleaned like it’s 1995, it’s time for a change. Right now through May 31, Beatbot is offering up to $820 off the AquaSense 2 Series, along with a 3-year full replacement warranty that practically screams "peace of mind."

Whether you fancy spotless walls, leaf-free water, or just fewer hours holding a skimmer pole, the AquaSense 2 Series is an AI-powered lineup that will take on your deep end with ease. Super-Man actor, Joe Manganiello, mentioned the AquaSense 2 Ultra is, “sleek, quiet, and way better at cleaning than I ever was.”

Read more
Nanoleaf reveals two gorgeous new smart lights for your home and garden
Nanoleaf Rope Light above a couch

Nanoleaf is one of the biggest names in smart lights, offering a variety of bulbs, panels, and even a unique skylight with support for over 16 million colors. That lineup is expanding today with the launch of the Nanoleaf Rope Light and Nanoleaf Solar Garden Light -- two striking new products that look like an excellent way to bring a pop of color into your home.

The Nanoleaf Solar Garden Light is arguably the most exciting of the two, as the company hasn’t ventured into the outdoor space too often. Sold as a two-pack for $50, the Garden Light is Nanoleaf’s first-ever solar-powered lighting solution. Built with an IP65 weatherproof rating, eight LED branches that splay out from a central stem, a built-in daylight sensor to toggle the lights on and off, and support for a variety of RGB colors plus tunable whites, it should make a fun companion for most outdoor spaces.

Read more
Amazon Memorial Day sale 2025: The 35 best tech deals
Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 front angled view showing display and keyboard.

The Amazon Memorial Day sale is already up and running, which means there are some amazing discounts available for all kinds of tech products. Whether you're looking for upgrades to your home entertainment setup, additions to your arsenal of mobile gadgets, or devices that will simply make life easier, there's surely something for you from the retailer's Memorial Day deals this year.

There's a chance that you get overwhelmed with the sheer number of offers from Amazon though. To help you decide what to buy, we've gathered the 35 best tech deals that we've found below. Read on and see if anything catches your eye, but you shouldn't take up too much time because we're not sure how much longer stocks will last for these products. It won't be a good idea to wait until the final minutes of the holiday before you make your purchases -- proceed with your transactions from Amazon's Memorial Day sale as soon as you can.

Read more