Technology

Flippy the robotic fry cook gets a reboot

The latest version of the robot made by Miso Robotics is smaller, faster and easier to install, paving the way for more adoption.
Flippy
Miso engineers work on the new generation of Flippy. | Photo courtesy of Miso Robotics

Flippy, the automated fry cook made by Miso Robotics, just got a big makeover.

The new version is half the size of the previous Flippy, works twice as fast and takes 75% less time to install, Miso said. It also boasts an uptime rate of 99%. It’s the biggest update for Flippy since it was first introduced as a burger-cooking device in 2017.

The reboot is the result of a partnership between Miso and cleaning products giant Ecolab, which invested in Miso in 2023. It was guided by CEO Rich Hull, who was brought on that year in part to help make Flippy more scalable.

Under Hull, Miso began analyzing the large body of data Flippy has generated over the years to identify areas for improvement. It also collaborated with Flippy’s biggest customers, which include fast-food chains like White Castle and Jack in the Box. By learning about their needs, Miso was able to design a robot that worked better for them.

“The technology needed to get to a place where it inspired enough trust among restaurant operators,” Hull said during an interview at the ICR conference this month. The new generation of Flippy is “exactly what the restaurants want it to be.” 

Flippy arm

Flippy can process 100 fryer baskets in an hour. | Photo courtesy of Miso Robotics

One example of an operator-inspired change has to do with Flippy’s doors. The robot sits behind a set of doors, which provide protection and allow it to work faster because it’s separated from human employees, as required by federal regulations.

Previously, the doors swung open, which took up space in the aisle. On the new model, they fold, making Flippy easier to fit into smaller kitchens.

The updates are expected to pave the way for faster adoption of Flippy. White Castle, one of Flippy’s earliest customers, began testing the new robot in some of its restaurants last year and will install it at more locations in 2025. Jack in the Box is also on board, as are several other large brands that have not yet been named.

Flippy is intended to help restaurants manage the rising cost of human workers by automating an undesirable job. The robot costs $5,400 per month to rent and can drive $5,000 to $20,000 in cost savings and revenue increases a month by speeding up service, reducing food waste and allowing the restaurant to assign workers to more valuable tasks, Hull said.

Flippy consists of a robotic arm and an AI camera system, which was developed in collaboration with the big chipmaker Nvidia. It can cook a variety of fried foods, including french fries, onion rings, chicken and tacos, at a rate of 100 baskets an hour, which Miso said is almost twice as fast as humans. 

Hull said that while food robots like Flippy have received a lot of publicity in recent years due to restaurants’ labor problems, they weren’t ready for mass adoption until now. 

“That’s a challenge with innovation. It takes time to get it right,” he said. He agreed with some observers who have predicted that 2025 will be “the year of the robot.”

“It’s a tipping-point moment,” he said.

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