Just in:
Ajman Celebrates Conclusion of Ramadan Activities with Grand Ceremony // Following the Money Trail: US and UK Investigate $20 Billion in USDT Transfers Tied to Sanctioned Russian Exchange // Andertoons by Mark Anderson for Thu, 28 Mar 2024 // Digital Hub Unveiled: Xposure Launches Platform for Global Photography Community // Ingdan Announces 2023 Annual Results // New Nylon Constant Torque Hinge From Southco Provides Position Control In A Compact Package // Sharjah Chamber Breaks Ground on Final Expansion with New HQ Pact // German Job Market Resilience Bodes Well for Economic Recovery // Samsung Partners National Heritage Board to Bring a Slice of Singapore’s Cultural Heritage to Samsung The Frame TV // No running of govt from jail, says Delhi Lt Governor // Emirati Aid Reaches Ukraine as Food Shortages Bite // U.S. Compliance Takes Center Stage at OKX Following Industry Jitters // Saudi Arabia Unveils Green Financing Tool to Achieve Net-Zero Goals // Hong Kong Crypto Exchange Application Stalled by US Lawsuit // Sunshine’s Debut Features Leave Tech World Scratching Its Head // Melco Style Presents “SANRIO CHARACTERS STUDIO CITY CARNIVAL” – Explore a SANRIO World of Unlimited Love and Cuteness // TUMI Hosts Global Launch Event in Singapore to Unveil Women’s Asra Collection and Announce Global Ambassador, Mun Ka Young // Experience Ultimate Shopping Freedom at 4.4 Shopee Spree: Don’t Worry, Shop Shopee! // AIA Hong Kong Wins More Than 20 Accolades at MPF Ratings MPF Awards, BENCHMARK MPF of The Year Awards and Bloomberg Businessweek Top Fund Awards // 2024 Lok Sabha Elections Will Be The Costliest One Till Now In The Whole World //
HomeWhat's OnApple Fellow Rich Page on ‘stealing jobs’ and Chowbotics’ salad-making robots

Apple Fellow Rich Page on ‘stealing jobs’ and Chowbotics’ salad-making robots

1491262823 rich page chowbotics apple fellow


When we first wrote about Chowbotics, their salad-making robot, which was then just a prototype, stirred a bit of controversy. The company promises to bring nutritious dining options to offices that don’t have a big cafeteria and budget to employ full-time chefs. But, like other food automation technologies, their robot, Sally, threatens to put a number of people out of work if it replaces prep cooks in restaurants.

ADVERTISEMENT

This week, we interviewed Chowbotics Executive Chairman Rich Page, who worked alongside Steve Jobs pioneering personal computer design at Apple Inc. and as a co-founder of NeXT Computer. He and Chowbotics CEO Deepak Sekar gave TechCrunch a first look at the finished robot. Sally will soon be installed and start dishing out the greens in venues from co-working spaces to hospitals.

What makes Sally different than a vending machine, Page explained, is the use of sensors and various moving parts inside. “A vending machine will just drop things out,” he said. “There’s significant motion in here. The primary weight sensor controls the amount Sally dispenses of each ingredient. Users’ choices determine which ingredients are used at all.”

Chopped, whole and liquid ingredients are stored in individual tubes, and the system knows which is in each, whether it’s a dressing, vegetable, cheese or other toppings. The tubes are filled at least once a day by people. The system sends alerts to customers when any ingredient is running low and needs a refill.

Tubes inside Chowbotics’ salad-making robot, Sally.

Making sure the robot’s design was compact enough, and durable enough to be used repeatedly in office and retail environments was a major challenge the company had to overcome. According to Sekar, the startup has been fielding inquiries from hospitals, which like the idea of salads prepared hygienically by robots, rather than under a “sneeze guard” at a traditional salad bar.

Does the startup worry about “stealing jobs”? Page says the company, and others involved in food automation and robotics, shouldn’t hold back on innovation: “There’s always some trade-off between existing jobs and new jobs. This causes some frustration in the world. But in general the world goes farther, and things get better for everybody.”

He reflected on the early days of his career when typing pools were replaced by word processors, and spreadsheets migrated from paper to a program called Visicalc that ran on the Apple II. Page said, “You can argue that put some people out of work, but it created an increase in productivity, too.”

Featured Image: TechCrunch

Via ASDA Alltop

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT
Just in:
Melco Style Presents “SANRIO CHARACTERS STUDIO CITY CARNIVAL” – Explore a SANRIO World of Unlimited Love and Cuteness // 2024 Lok Sabha Elections Will Be The Costliest One Till Now In The Whole World // Ingdan Announces 2023 Annual Results // French Leaders Gather for Interfaith Iftar Dinner // German Job Market Resilience Bodes Well for Economic Recovery // Samsung Electronics Launches 2024 Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED, and OLED Displays to Spark the AI Screen Era // Infineon and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering jointly develop ship electrification technology // AIA Hong Kong Wins More Than 20 Accolades at MPF Ratings MPF Awards, BENCHMARK MPF of The Year Awards and Bloomberg Businessweek Top Fund Awards // Hong Kong Crypto Exchange Application Stalled by US Lawsuit // Andertoons by Mark Anderson for Fri, 29 Mar 2024 // Experience Ultimate Shopping Freedom at 4.4 Shopee Spree: Don’t Worry, Shop Shopee! // Universal Language for Healthcare: General Authority Embraces Global Coding System // Saudi Arabia Unveils Green Financing Tool to Achieve Net-Zero Goals // No running of govt from jail, says Delhi Lt Governor // Emirati Aid Reaches Ukraine as Food Shortages Bite // US reiterates concern over Kejriwal arrest, Cong accounts // Hope for Respite as UAE Endorses UN Plea for Gaza Truce // Sharjah Chamber Breaks Ground on Final Expansion with New HQ Pact // Digital Hub Unveiled: Xposure Launches Platform for Global Photography Community // Global Audience to Witness Thrill of Dubai World Cup //