A robot burger-flipper at Caliburger, Pasadena, was put on extended leave after working only a single shift having been unable to cope with a surge of orders, highlighting the friction between automation and human jobs and workflows. 

Having made a big noise about its Flippy robot that it described as 'the future of food', manufacturer Miso Robotics was forced to pull its technology after it quickly exceeded its 2,000-burger-a-day capacity. 

According to CaliBurger CTO Anthony Lomelino, 'human staff' were part of the problem. 'Working with people, you talk to each other. With Flippy, you kind of need to work around his schedule' he says.

The incident raised questions about the robustness of the robot. 

It also stimulated discussion about the purpose of robots and their impact on jobs, with some commentators reckoning many jobs will disappear and income equalities widen.

In an October 2022 interview with Reuters, Miso Robotics CEO Mike Bell said that some day, people will 'walk into a restaurant and look at a robot and say, 'Hey, remember the old days when humans used to do that kind of thing?’ 'And those days ... it's coming. ... It's just a matter of ... how quick.'

Timeline ⏰

• March 2017: Miso Robotics unveils the first "Flippy" prototype, a robotic arm designed to autonomously flip burger patties on a grill.

• March 5, 2018: Flippy officially begins its first shift at the CaliBurger Pasadena location.

• March 6, 2018: After just one day, Flippy is taken offline. The company cites "overwhelming demand" and an inability for human staff to prep and dress burgers fast enough to keep up with the robot’s pace.

• May 2018: Flippy returns to the grill after CaliBurger redesigns the kitchen workflow and provides specialized training for human staff.