You can count burger-flipping robots as one pandemic innovation that’s here to stay. White Castle announced today that it will be bringing Flippy 2, a robot chef that can essentially perform the same tasks as a team of fry cooks, to 100 more locations this year. This amounts to roughly a third of White Castle restaurants nationwide, so it’s likely Flippy may become a permanent addition to this burger chain’s workforce.

Last fall the burger chain first teamed up with Miso Robotics, the makers of Flippy, to launch a pilot program in its Chicagoland location. The company then unveiled Flippy 2, the latest iteration of the chef robot, back in November. Now it appears that the robot chef is ready for prime-time.

It’s unlikely the average White Castle patron will notice the new robots when they first arrive. Since Flippy 2 is designed to perform “back-of-the-house” kitchen functions, that’s where you’ll find them. The robot uses AI to identify the type of food (such as burgers, chicken fingers, or fries), picks it up, cooks it, puts it in its own fry basket and finally puts it in a hot holding area.

But it’s possible your White Castle order may come out slightly faster than usual. Flippy 2 can dole out 60 baskets of food an hour, according to Miso Robotics’ website, or roughly 300 burgers a day. Unlike the earlier model, Flippy 2 can operate entirely without human intervention.

Miso Robotics is primarily crowdfunded; the company raised more than $50 million with more than 15,000 investors and is currently in its Series E funding round.

It’s no secret we’re in the middle of an AI-enabled cooking revolution. Miso Robotics has come out with a wing-making version of Flippy which Buffalo Wild Wings is currently testing, according to CNBC. Since robots also minimize human contact in the kitchen, they’re also used as a pandemic safety measure. Beijing is even using robot chefs to feed athletes and guests in its closed Winter Olympics bubble. It’s likely we’ll see more robotic innovations popping up in the restaurant industry, especially given recent labor shortages.

Coco, a company that offers food deliveries by remote-controlled robot, has expanded beyond its home base of Los Angeles for the first time. The service is now available in Austin as it commences a nationwide rollout. Coco plans to bring its robots to Dallas, Houston and Miami in the next few months.

The company says its service, which debuted in 2020, now has hundreds of delivery robots on the streets of LA, covering all of the city's major neighborhoods. Coco claims to reduce costs and deliver food to customers 30 percent faster than traditional methods with an on-time delivery rate of 97 percent. It partnered with 10 Austin restaurants and chains at the outset, and will offer deliveries in the South Lamar, South Congress, South Austin, Downtown, Northside, North Loop and Domain neighborhoods from the jump.

Other robot delivery services — such as Yandex, Serve Robotics (a former division of Postmates) and Nuro — have adopted the self-driving approach. Coco's robots, on the other hand, are controlled by employees who work from home.

A robot has successfully performed "keyhole" intestinal surgery on pigs without any aid from humans, according to a study from John Hopkins University (published in Science Robotics). What's more, the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) handled the tricky procedure "significantly better" than human doctors. The breakthrough marks a significant step towards automated surgery that could one day help "democratize" patient care, the researchers said. 

Laparoscopic or keyhole surgery requires surgeons to manipulate and stitch intestines and other organs through tiny incisions, a technique that requires high levels of skill and has little margin for error. The team chose to do "intestinal anastomosis" (joining two ends of an intestine), a particularly challenging keyhole procedure.  

Soft tissue surgery in general is hard for robots due to the unpredictability. To deal with that, the STAR robot was equipped with specialized suturing tools and state-of-the-art imaging systems that could deliver extremely accurate visualizations. 

John Hopkins

Specifically, it had a "structural light–based three-dimensional endoscope and machine learning–based tracking algorithm" to guide the robots. "We believe an advanced three-dimensional machine vision system is essential in making intelligent surgical robots smarter and safer," said John Hopkins professor Jin Kang. On top of that, STAR is the first robotic system that can "plan, adapt and execute a surgical plan in soft tissue with minimal human intervention," said first author Hamed Saeidi. Using all that technology, the STAR robot successfully performed the procedure in four animals

Laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive compared to regular surgery, which helps ensure better patient outcomes. However, because it takes so long to master, there's a relatively small pool of doctors able to do it.

"Robotic anastomosis is one way to ensure that surgical tasks that require high precision and repeatability can be performed with more accuracy and precision in every patient independent of surgeon skill," said senior author Axel Krieger from John Hopkins. "We hypothesize that this will result in a democratized surgical approach to patient care with more predictable and consistent patient outcomes."

A robot vacuum can help you stick to that New Year's resolution you made to keep your home a bit more tidy — and it helps that you don't have to spend a fortune to get one of these gadgets anymore. There are many more budget-friendly robot vacuums available today than there were even just a couple of years ago, and iRobot's Roomba 694 is one of the better ones we've tried. Normally priced at $274, the affordable robo-vac is even cheaper right now on Amazon where it's $95 off and down to $179. That's the same price we saw during the Black Friday shopping season last year, so if you missed the gadget when it was previously on sale, you have another chance to grab it now.

This is one of iRobot's entry-level vacuums with a three-button design, mobile app connectivity and the ability to clean both hard and carpeted surfaces well. It earned a spot in our budget robot vacuum guide for those reasons — not only does it do a good job puttering around your home, sucking up dirt and debris along the way, but we also like that you can control it using the on-device buttons or the companion mobile app. iRobot's app is pretty straightforward, so even if you're a newbie to the world of autonomous cleaning robots, it shouldn't be difficult to figure out. The app also lets you set cleaning schedules, which tell the Roomba to automatically clean on certain days of the week and at specific times. The Roomba 694 is also compatible with Alexa and the Google Assistant, so you can control it with voice commands, too.

The Roomba 694 is a great option if you want to introduce a robo-vac into your home without dropping too much money. iRobot also has a number of more advanced machines if you're looking to invest in a vacuum with more power and smarts. The new Roomba j7+ is on sale for $599 right now, which is $250 off and the best price we've seen. It has 10x the suction power of the 694 plus Precision View Navigation with obstacle avoidance, the latter of which is the reason why iRobot dubbed the machine its "poop-detecting" robot. It also comes with a clean base, so the robo-vac will automatically empty its bin into that base after every job so you don't have to.

Similarly, the Roomba s9+ is also $250 off and down to $849. It has 40x the suction of a standard Roomba, a design that can more easily clean in room corners and an included clean base. While it's probably overkill for most people, it's the model to get if you want one of the highest-end robot vacuums around.

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If you made the resolution to tidy up more regularly in 2022, a robot vacuum can help with that. And for those that hate cleaning, investing in a robot vacuum with self-emptying functionality can make it so you rarely have to interact with the machine. Two of iRobot's higher-end models with clean bases are on sale at Wellbots right now when you use the code ENGADGET250 at checkout — both the Roomba s9+ and the Roomba j7+ will be $250 off, bringing them down to $850 and $600, respectively. Those are great deals, especially considering the prices are better than we saw during Cyber Monday at the end of last year.

The Roomba j7+ is the latest robo-vac from iRobot and it has new AI-driven computer vision technology the helps it detect objects and move around them as it cleans. It's thanks to this feature that the company calls the j7 a series of "poop-detecting" devices because they should be able to successfully avoid a robot vacuum's arch nemesis — your pet's accidents. iRobot's Pet Owner Official Promise (or P.O.O.P. for short) ensures that you'll get a new vacuum if the robot fails to avoid a run in with poop during your first year of ownership.

Otherwise, the j7 series sits right under the s9 series in iRobot's lineup, meaning it has a number of advanced features like 10x the suction power of a standard Roomba, dual multi-surface rubber brushes and Imprint Smart Mapping, the latter of which lets you direct the vacuum to clean only certain rooms. The "plus" part of the j7+ refers to the clean base, or an extended part of the dock into which the vacuum will empty its debris after every job. So instead of emptying the dustbin yourself after every cleaning, you'll only have to empty the base about once every two months. Combine that with the smart controls in the iRobot mobile app and you may only have to interact with the Roomba every so often — the app lets you do things like remote start the device, set cleaning schedules and more.

The s9+ is the most advanced device that iRobot makes and it has a few differences from the j7 series. It has 40x the suction power of iRobot's standard series of vacuums and a design that helps it clean corners better. It also has a 3D sensor that helps it detect and clean around objects, although the technology is slightly different than that in the j7 series. Both are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and the Google Assistant, too, so you can control the robo-vacs with voice commands if you wish.

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Don't be shocked if a robot serves you the next time you eat out or go on vacation. LG is bringing its CLOi ServeBot to the US, giving hotels, restaurants and stores a semi-autonomous machine that can ferry up to 66lbs of food and other cargo across a busy space. While humans have to pre-program maps and set destinations, the bot can use a 3D camera, LiDAR and sensors to dodge people and detect when someone has removed an item from a tray.

Like other CLOi robots, the ServeBot uses its 9.2-inch touchsreen to both put on a friendly face for guests and take input. It's not fast at 2.2MPH, but its 11 hours of continuous use should be enough for a long workday.

This isn't the first LG robot to cross to the US. The Korean tech firm brought its disinfecting UV-C robot to the US in 2021. The timing might be apt, however. American companies are grappling with the combination of job shortages (particularly in service roles) and an evolving pandemic that adds risk to waiting tables or helming a hotel's front desk. ServeBot won't completely replace human workers, but it might lessen the sting of job shortfalls and reduce exposure for workers who frequently have to deal with the public.

Many companies at CES 2022 have been focused on products you can find on shelves, but Hyundai came to the show with nothing less than a grand vision of the future. The company used its presentation to outline a "metamobility" strategy where robots augment humanity's capabilities — to the point where you could even reconfigure whole rooms, or use a robot as a stand-in while you navigate the metaverse at home.

Boston Dynamics' robots also played a large part in the event, and Hyundai was keen to discuss everything from exoskeletons through to digital twins for machinery. It's a lot to take in, we know. Thankfully, you can learn about those and more through our six-minute supercut.

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It wouldn’t be CES season without at least a couple of offbeat robots showing up. Yukai Engineering, the maker of the Qoobo robotic cat tail pillow, has revealed a soft robot that nibbles on a user’s fingertip. The company hopes the "somewhat pleasing sensation" will brighten up your day.

Amagami Ham Ham has an algorithm called a “Hamgorithm” that selects one of two dozen nibbling patterns, so you’ll never be sure exactly what you’ll feel when you shove your digit into the robot’s maw. Yukai designed the patterns — which include Tasting Ham, Massaging Ham and Suction Ham — to replicate the feeling of a baby or pet nibbling on one’s finger.

Yukai Corporation

“Amagami” means “soft biting” and “ham” means “bite” in Japanese. Yukai based the look of the robot on a character from Liv Heart Corporation’s Nemu Nemu stuffed animal series. There’ll be a couple of finger-munching models to choose from: Yuzu (Calico Cat) and Kotaro (Shiba Inu).

“Most people like the nibbling sensation but know they need to teach their children or pets to stop it, because kids and animals will otherwise bite them with full force eventually," said Yukai Engineering CMO Tsubasa Tominaga, who invented the robot at a hackathon earlier this year. "Amagami Ham Ham is a robot that frees humankind from the conundrum of whether ‘to pursue or not to pursue’ the forbidden pleasure.”

Pricing hasn't been determined, but Yukai and Liv Heart plan to run a crowdfunding campaign in the spring. In the meantime, those braving CES can check out Amagami Ham Ham at the show, and perhaps leave Yukai's booth with a slightly more tender finger.

Among the other devices Yukai will show off at CES is Bocco Emo. The company has updated the original Bocco robot to act as a smart medical device. Yukai says hospitals in Japan are using it to monitor patients' vitals (via connected sensors like pulse oximeters and thermometers) and notify nurses about a patient's condition.

During a pilot period, Bocco Emo was used to inform patients' families about how they're doing. It can also communicate with patients using sound effects, facial expressions and gestures while they wait for a nurse to arrive.

Spot and the rest of the Boston Dynamics family may get all the attention, but Hyundai has a robotics division separate from the firm it acquired earlier in the year. This week, the automaker unveiled the Mobile Eccentric Droid or MobED, a new mobility platform for taking on even the trickiest surfaces and uneven ground.

The company’s Robotics Lab says it developed MobED to overcome the limitations of existing indoor and service robots. Each of the robot’s wheels features independent power and steering control systems that allow it to rotate in place and move in any direction. It also has an eccentric drive system, hence the name, that allows it to independently adjust the height of each of its wheels. As you can see from the video, that means it can provide a stable platform for something as delicate as glass.  

MobED can expand its wheelbase up to about 25 inches when it needs as much stability as possible. It can also contract to about 17 inches when it finds itself in more complex environments. All told, the platform is approximately 26 inches long, 23 inches wide and 13 inches tall. A 2 kWh battery allows the robot to drive for approximately four hours on a single charge.

Outside of working as a service robot, Hyundai envisions MobED helping out in places like the movie industry where film crews could mount their equipment to the platform. It could also be used for deliveries and other purposes where stability is essential. We’ll get a chance to see more of the robot when Hyundai demos it at CES 2022 next month. However, the company hasn't said if it plans to commercialize MobED. 

The holiday shopping season is one of the best times of the year to look for a robot vacuum. Since many are quite expensive, you'll usually find good discounts during this time, and even some of the most budget-friendly models can be on sale. Today, Amazon has a one-day sale on a mid-range Shark robo-vac that brings the machine down to its lowest price yet. The Shark AV2001 robot vacuum with AI navigation is on sale for $300, or $130 off its normal price.

Shark took the top spot in our budget robot vacuum guide, and this model is more advanced and has more suction power than the one we tested. It has a self-cleaning brush roll that will help it pick up debris and even pet hair more easily, and it supports UltraClean Mode, which lets you deep clean specific rooms of your home. It moves through your home in neat rows thanks to its AI laser navigation system and it should bump into furniture less than other robo-vacs thanks to its ability to detect and avoid objects four inches high or taller.

The AV2001 also has precision home mapping with LiDAR, which means it'll learn the layout of your home as it cleans the first few times. You can then use the companion mobile app to send the machine to clean your bedroom only, and you can also set "no-go" zones to block off certain areas. The mobile app also lets you control the robot from anywhere and set cleaning schedules, and since it's compatible with Alexa and the Google Assistant, you could do all that with voice commands if you prefer. While it doesn't have a clean base like some higher-end robot vacuums do, it does come with a dock that it'll automatically return to once it's done cleaning or when it's battery has run low. All of those features make it a pretty capable robo-vac and a good option if you've been holding out for a good deal on a mid-range device.

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