5 tech things: 24/7 robotic “burger chef in a box" opens first campus location

In this special edition of its 5 Things series, Food Management highlights five recent technology-related developments affecting the foodservice world.

Here’s your list for today:

Autonomous robotic “burger chef in a box" RoboBurger is opening its first higher ed location at St John's University in Queens, N.Y. in partnership with campus dining services provider Chartwells Higher Ed. Giving students 24/7 access to freshly grilled burgers, the unit includes a grill, toaster, condiment dispenser and even a dishwashing function. It currently cooks a burger in four to five minutes (and even quicker when the grill is hot) and uses only premium ingredients like Angus Beef patties.

For a video of the RoboBurger in action, go here…

Read more: RoboBurger Goes to College: The Burger Robot Opens Its First New York Higher Ed Location

DoorDash is piloting automated airborne drop-off service in partnership with Google parent company Alphabet’s drone delivery subsidiary Wing in select suburban parts of Queensland in Australia. “Drone delivery can provide an excellent complement to our ground delivery services,” said Rebecca Burrows, DoorDash’s general manager of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, in a statement. “Delivery drones create a quick, efficient delivery option for smaller orders weighing just over a kilo, and free up ground delivery services for larger deliveries that provide better compensation to drivers.” The companies also indicated that the goals of the partnership are not limited to food delivery but rather include a range of daily essentials and possible last-minute purchases.

Related:5 things: Temps reportedly earn more than permanent dining staff at University of Minnesota

Read more: DoorDash and Google's Wing Launch Drone Delivery Pilot in Australia

Is this the office of the future? Korean high tech firm Naver's showcase Never 1784 building uses more than 316 patent technologies, including about 60 delivery robots powered by a private 5G network and connected to cloud system ARC that acts as a shared brain, and which deliver everything from the mail to a morning cup of coffee to employees in the building. Meanwhile, the human staff enter the building and access everything from the in-house hospital to the cafeteria and convenience store using facial recognition, something also used by the robots to ensure that, for instance, that cup of coffee has ended up in the correct human hands.

Read more: Naver to pitch robot-filled smart office to Saudi NEOM project

Related:5 things: Dartmouth students see meal equivalency value eroding in face of rising meal prices

Students at Washington Local Schools in Ohio might no longer need to carry cash or student IDs to pay for lunch but instead would make the purchases through a finger scan after the district’s school board unanimously approved a purchase of scanners for $47,640 through identiMetrics, Inc. software. The scanners will allow students to move through lunch lines faster, district nutrition supervisor Deb Warren said.

Read more: No wallet required: Washington Local looks to add scanners to lunchrooms

Nebraska-based meat purveyor McLean Beef has installed a beef vending machine at its retail outlet in York that’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and vends products ranging from New York strips to stew meat to ground hamburger. The refrigerated machine works like a cafeteria-style turntable vending machine with slots that open to allow customers to access the item they want to purchase.

Watch the machine in action here…

Read more: You Can Buy Fresh Steaks 24/7 From This Unique Beef Vending Machine In Nebraska

Bonus: FM Best Sandwiches 2022: The Best Burgers of the Bunch Edition

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]