Mechanised alternatives to hand-made pizzas with improved overall delivery rates
A pizzaiolo robot launched by a French start-up Ekim can help automate the process of making pizzas. With three arms and programmed gestures similar to those of pizza-makers, it can make several pizzas simultaneously.
Underlying objective
The idea of a robot pizza-maker was proposed by two Ekim engineers who retrospected their time as students. They concluded that pizzas being their only affordable meal back then, had eventually turned into mundane low-quality fast food.
However, the manufacturing is not completely mechanised. The founders said that it is more reliable for human beings to check the dough and cut the vegetables.
Man versus machine
It has been outlined that the average time for a human to make a pizza is four minutes and 30 seconds. The robot takes the same time to make a pizza but with its three arms, it can make an increased number of pizzas at a given time. This enables it to deliver a pizza every 30 seconds.
Data also suggests that a pizzaiolo can make 40 pizzas an hour. With its mechanisation, the robot can allow delivery of around 120 pizzas in an hour. Based on the principle of a vending machine, the robot comes with an automated screen that offers 15 preset recipes along with an option of customisation.
Scope of mechanised pizzas
According to reports, the robot has been made in France and 95% of ingredients are sourced from France and Italy. It is currently placed in a showroom outside Paris. The company intends to place it in an autonomous 24*7 restaurant.
Founders said that they wish to provide a different fast food experience to the customers by combining time-efficiency and food quality and that the robot pizza-maker can be an alternative to reheated frozen pizzas. While it might pose a threat to pizzaiolo employment rates, it can be a potential step towards mechanisation of cooking activities.
