Circus SE out of Munich built a robot called the CA-1 that sits inside a glass box no bigger than a small bathroom. Two arms swing round at the command of a touchscreen, plucking ingredients from refrigerated bins, spooning them into a pot, cooking the whole thing on a induction burner and sliding out the finished plate to a take-out window. No human has to flip the food, wipe down the counters, or yell for the next order. This whole kitchen just runs by itself.
People are already queuing up to order from one of these boxes at a REWE supermarket in Düsseldorf. You just walk up, tap the screen or voice your order, pay six euros, and wait a minute or two. The thing whizzes through 120 meals in an hour – that’s one every 30 seconds. That sort of pace would send most human kitchen staff into a tailspin during the lunch rush – yet this thing just keeps on going, never even gets tired or takes a sick day.
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The latest model – Series 4 – comes in at 450 kg lighter than its predecessors. The engineers took a hatchet to the metalwork, fitted in lighter components and redesigned the grippers so they just snap on and off with magnets. They’ve also sorted out the induction system to heat the pot to the exact right spot, and the stirring speed adjusts automatically depending on what you’re cooking. And if you swap out a bin, the machine knows what you’re putting in instantly. Next to that, cleaning’s a breeze – a commercial dishwasher built into the base just gets everything spick and span between orders.
REWE are calling this the “Fresh & Smart” – more of these are opening up across western Germany soon. Circus run the machines, and the supermarket just provides the space and a power socket. You pop in for your groceries – and then pick up a hot lunch made from scratch.
The food waste drops because the system can predict demand and doesn’t load up with too much – just what it needs. Circus started off with domestic kitchens but now they’re looking at bigger contracts. Any place that’s got to feed lots of people on a regular basis – a hospital, a university, a factory cafeteria – sounds like a natural fit. They’ve even got a defence division now – soldiers in remote bases could get hot meals without having to set up a cook tent. They recently signed a deal with Ukraine’s BRAVE1 program to test that out in the field.
With every installation, though, a few jobs disappear – the CA-1 just does it all – prep, cooking, plating and cleaning – the sort of thing that used to employ four or five people per shift. The supermarket still needs cashiers and people to restock the shelves, but the hot-food counter is now run by the machine. Circus say it’s solving labour shortages, and it also eliminates the need to find new staff in the first place.
Stand in front of the glass and watch the arms dance – one ladles out a bit of sauce, tilts it just right, and drizzles it over some rice and veg. The other grabs the pot and slings it onto the washer rack. It all looks quite gentle, and still nothing spills. Thirty seconds later the window opens and out comes your meal, steaming hot and ready. You grab the plate, find a table and get eating – food cooked up by a machine that doesn’t even get to taste what it makes.
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