This robot can flesh out an avocado in 26 seconds

Chipotle has debuted Autocado, a cobot – or collaborative robot, whose sole purpose is to cut, core, and peel avocados.

The restaurant chain known for its bowls, tacos, and burritos developed the prototype of the machine in partnership with Vebu, a food supply automation startup.

Chipotle is currently testing Autocado at its Huntington Beach location in California. The company said that it introduced the cobot after identifying tasks that are “time-consuming and less favorable among crew members.”

Autocado can flesh out an avocado in about 26 seconds on average, according to Chipotle. Human employees will then hand-mash the fruit to make the restaurant’s signature guacamole.

The company said that Autocado allows crew members to focus on assisting with other food preparation items and hospitality tasks. The machine recognizes the variability of avocados and automatically adjusts itself to accommodate the size of the fruits that are loaded, it said.

In addition to Autocado, Chipotle also presented Augmented Makeline, a cobotic makeline built in collaboration with Hyphen, a food service platform that automates kitchen operations.

Augmented Makeline uses automated technology to build bowls and salads, which make up 65% of Chipotle’s digital orders, while employees operate the top makeline to make burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and kid’s meals.

The use of cobotic devices could help build “a stronger operational engine,” according to Curt Garner, chief customer and technology officer at Chipotle.

"Optimizing our use of these systems and incorporating crew and customer feedback are the next steps in the stage-gate process before determining their broader pilot plans," Garner said.

Chipotle said it expects to use approximately 5.18 million cases – or about 129.5 million pounds – of avocados this year. It has over 3,500 restaurants in the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, and Kuwait.