|4 February 2017|
USA
Coffee lovers yearn for consistency so when their favourite hot cup isn’t up to standard they are left frustrated.
Now a robotic café in San Francisco aims to put a stop to all that by guaranteeing customers coffee they can rely on time and again.
Cafe X Technologies unveiled its first robotic café in the US last week, where people can enjoy coffee with beans from AKA Coffee, Verve Coffee Roasters, or Peet’s.
In partnership with WMF (the leading international manufacturer of fully automatic coffee machines), Cafe X Technologies has developed a fully automated robotic café that integrates hardware and software which blend the functionality of baristas and specialty coffee preparation methods. Cafe X sets itself apart by removing the on-site wait time, the potential for preparation error, and the unexpected variability, setting a new standard for automation technology and the specialty coffee service industry.
“I’ve long been a big coffee consumer and there’s never a guaranteed seamless experience,” says founder and CEO Henry Hu. “In today’s world, you have two options for getting a cup of coffee: you’re either in and out with something subpar or you’re waiting in a 15-minute line for a great cappuccino. I started Cafe X to eliminate that inherent compromise and give people access to a tasty cup of coffee consistently and conveniently.”
Customers can order customised espresso-based beverages on the spot at the ordering kiosk or they can download the Cafe X app onto their mobile device to order in advance. Once the beverage is ready, customers use the touch screens on the robotic café to type in a 4-digit order number which is either sent via text message or displayed on the Cafe X mobile app for iOS and Android. The Mitsubishi robot arm will then identify the customer’s drink from the waiting stations and deliver it to the customer within seconds.
“This won’t replace baristas or the coffee shop experience that so many people have come to love – we don’t aim to do that,“ says Hu. “What we’re offering is the best possible experience for people who are looking for consistent specialty coffee to-go”
