Robo-Baristas Serving Up Coffee At San Francisco Cafe

Like a scene right out of “The Jetsons,” patrons at Cafe X, a new coffee shop in San Francisco, can have their cup of joe served up to them by a robot. Yes, an actual robot.

Located in the Metreon shopping center, Cafe X customers simply place their order using their smartphone or an iPad kiosk, which then sends the order to the robo-barista. According to The Wall Street Journal, in less than one minute, the robot, which uses a Mitsubishi six-axis arm to grab a cup, pumps in some syrup, places it in front of one of its coffee-brewing cores and lowers the beverage into one of eight warming stations that will keep your brew hot for up to eight minutes.

When your order is ready, you get a text message with a four-digit code that you enter at the robot’s kiosk. Once you entire the code, the robo-barista grabs your cup of coffee for you. Fast Company explained that the four-digit code ensures that you not only get the right beverage but that someone doesn’t accidentally walk off with your order.

The cafe has two espresso machines that can make one of seven different beverages, each offered with three different coffee options from local roasters. There’s also organic milk and different flavored syrups to choose from. The Cafe X robot can even adjust recipes based on temperature and humidity. Drinks are all served in eight-ounce cups and cost between $2 and $3. And while the robot is mostly self-cleaning, there is a human employee on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly and to assist any customers that need help.

“The art part of coffee is the expertise in creating the beverage, not how well you can repeatedly do it,” said Cafe X Founder Henry Hu. “That is repetition a robot can do.”

The robot arm also keeps the long lines to a minimum, preparing orders at a rate of two per minute. Cafe X first launched in Hong Kong — right next to a Starbucks — and serves more than 1,000 cups of coffee each week. The company has raised $5 million in venture funding and plans to expand beyond malls and airports into corporate buildings and college campuses.