Welcome to the future: robot chef whips up tasty meals at FIU

Move over Wall-E, R2D2 and Terminator. There’s a new robot in town — and it’s making quick Panther meals

September 6, 2024 at 10:25am

There’s a new chef in the campus kitchen. It’s a robot that can cook up a storm in as little as four minutes.

If you’re getting the Jetsons’ vibe (think Rosie the robot maid) or if you’re picturing a good-guy-Terminator-style chef, you’re probably thinking the same thing we all are: Science fiction has caught up with reality. And it’s all happening at FIU.

The robot, called Beastro, is standing by the pizza station at MMC’s 8^th Street Campus Kitchen. It is the first robotic kitchen in the country to be used in a university setting. FIU and Panther Dining, which is run by Chartwells Higher Education, unveiled the robot at FIU earlier this year. Students, faculty and staff members alike are delighted.

Beastro is made by a company called Kitchen Robotics and offers convenience, consistency and customization of meals. The robot at FIU features four recipes and a variety of ingredients ranging from sauces, vegetables, pasta styles and meat choices. Panthers can mix and match these ingredients to create about 70 different dish options. (Psst! Try the chicken teriyaki. It’s one of the fan favorites!)

Folks order through an easy touch-screen kiosk. Beastro can cook as many as four meals at a time, and it can make an average of 600 meals a day. The technology also collects data on recipe choices, which will be used in making decisions about whether to swap an old recipe for a new one.

Use a touch-screen kiosk to choose from dish options, including a create-your-own-dish option.

The future of food

The robot is harnessing the power of technology to bring the future of dining to FIU — right now.

“This really impacts the student experience,” says Roger Clegg, assistant vice president of Business Services. “When we can be on the cutting edge and provide innovation and convenience for our students...that’s what we’re here for. We’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback. Students appreciate the ability to customize their meals. Being the first to bring this technology to college dining is something we’re very proud of.”

Plus, there’s definitely a ‘wow’ factor about the robot, Clegg says.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” says international relations major Nayla Martinez, who made her first order from the robot last week. “I wanted to try it because it’s different, it’s brand new. It’s awesome that FIU is the first university in the country to do this.”

Beastro has even garnered attention within the community and local media have featured the story on Deco Drive and in the Miami Herald.

The robot is the latest in a long line of initiatives to provide students with the best dining experience. The university’s commitment to quality food has earned recognition at a large scale. FIU ranks No. 1 in Florida for best college food and No. 14 in America, according to Niche.com. With the robot’s help, FIU might just become the college with the most innovative kitchen tech, too.

“It’s a new style of dining, using technology to help students so they don’t have to spend 30 or 40 minutes in line waiting,” says Chris Valdes, the resident district manager at FIU for Chartwells. “The robot gives students more flexibility to choose the ingredients they like. It gives them a freshly prepared meal. They can see the cooking process from start to finish.”

In fact, after ordering from the kiosk, many people often whip out their phones and take videos as the robot cooks their food.

Biology major Cristian Rodriguez ordered a beef teriyaki from the robot. “This is pretty neat,” he says. “It’s like fiction. It was very fast. Just the convenience of it is great. It tasted good.”

“It’s really cool,” says Lesly Ceballos, a political science major who recently tried the robot for the first time. “It’s very innovative to have this robot here. It can even make omelets.”

Chef Denisse Castillo is senior director of FIU Residential Dining. She and her team work with the robot to turn out dazzling dishes.

The technology is not taking away from the human touch. Valdes says that instead of cutting jobs, the robot has actually created the opportunity for four new kitchen staff members who help run the robot, serve the meals and set the plates at the pick-up station after the robot finishes cooking.

In case you’re wondering what happens after cooking, the robot continues to surprise: it self-cleans, washing its pans immediately after the food is plated.

“I’m really excited about what we have here,” says Felecia Townsend, executive director of Business Services. “Just seeing the students’ faces when they discover the robot, it’s incredible. They love it. We’re really offering something special here.”

So…are you ready for lunch?