Miso Robotics has partnered with Amazon Web Services to begin testing software using AWS RoboMaker, a simulation service based in the cloud.
The Pasadena robotics company is testing the software of its Flippy 2 and Flippy Lite automated restaurant products, it said in a release. The autonomous units cook and season a variety of food items, including French fries, chicken tenders and chips.
The move to AWS RoboMaker is projected to allow Miso to run as many as 50 simulations at once and will help the company turn future prototypes into functional products at a much quicker rate, the company’s release added.
Chris Kruger, chief technology officer of Miso, said that integrating into AWS RoboMaker has been a game changer for the startup to scale its products and make sure the software and its updates are ready to deploy with units in the field.
“We will go from running 12 simulations a month with single units to doing 100 in a night,” Kruger said in a statement. “By testing hundreds of configurations in parallel, we are able to save costs and develop products faster.”
Miso was founded in 2016 by Buck Jordan, Rob Anderson and Ryan Sinnet.
AWS RoboMaker is a cloud-based simulation service that enables robotics developers to run, scale, and automate simulation without engineering investment or managing any infrastructure, according to a description from the service.
When deploying Flippy 2 and Flippy Lite through these configurations, testing takes place via simulation in the cloud. AWS simplifies the process by validating the simulations to build a stable baseline for any new architecture or software updates, according to the release.
Comparing the performance of the units in a simulated role to the metrics of those in the field lets Miso track discrepancies and close the gap to ensure stability, the company’s release said.
The Flippy 2 automated cooking system consolidates key tasks in the back-of-house to make quick service restaurants more efficient, and addresses a $279 billion market in which it can be customized to cook whatever a restaurant needs, including anything that can be fried, according to a release from Miso.
The cost of a Flippy 2 starts at $3,000 a month.
The Flippy Lite can be installed in a single night, and the next day a restaurant’s staff can be trained to use it. Its small footprint — less than three feet deep and six feet wide — means that the Flippy Lite can be installed completely assembled. The machine automatically dispenses, cooks, seasons and mixes foods, including chicken wings and French fries.
White Castle Management Co., the Columbus, Ohio, owner of hamburger chain White Castle, said in February that, based on a pilot project with Miso, it would install Flippy 2 systems in 100 of its restaurants.
In April, Jack in the Box Inc. announced it would install a Flippy 2 and the Sippy beverage dispensing system in a single location in San Diego as a test. That same month, Panera Bread announced it would become Miso’s first partner to evaluate and test its CookRight Coffee system. And in May, Wing Stop, owned by Las Vegas-based Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, said that it would include Flippy 2 systems in all its locations.
Tony Darden, chief operating officer at Jack in the Box, called the collaboration with Miso a steppingstone for its operations.
“We are confident that this technology will be a good fit to support our growing business needs with intentions of having a positive impact on our operations while promoting safety and comfort to our team members,” Darden said in a statement.
