3 ms·
I have many of the same questions too. In industrial robots one of the most important numbers is mean time between failures(MTBF). If the MBTF is too low, that
by gene-h 8y ago
I have many of the same questions too. In industrial robots one of the most important numbers is mean time between failures(MTBF). If the MBTF is too low, that is the robot breakdown or otherwise fails, you spend more on fixing the robot or its mistakes than the cost of the robot itself, the cost of programming it, and the value the robot provides. Cleaning is a huge issue. If they don't clean things properly and someone gets food poisoning this could kill their company and perhaps even the automation of fast food. And if cleaning is time consuming enough it could greatly increase operating costs.
I'm skeptical that this machine adds enough value to justify its costs for the aforementioned reasons, but also because of the decreased flexibility. Other fast food restaurants can introduce new dishes and flavors easily, but if they want to do the same they may need to modify the entire machine. For example, adding two patties instead of one, using differently shaped buns or meat, wraps instead of burgers.
- jrs95 8y agoI have a better idea than cleaning: build a machine that builds these so quickly and cheaply that you can throw them away every night when you're done.
- chrissnell 8y agoYou're getting downvoted and you used what I think is a "sarchasm" tag but this isn't a terrible suggestion. Lots of industries use disposable parts for sanitation reasons. Many of the instruments used for medicine and dentistry are now disposable. Food workers wear disposable gloves and food comes in disposable packaging. It's not unreasonable to think that they might use disposable parts for everything that touches food.
- alfredallan1 8y agoHow does that blend with the garbage problem the world seems to be having since China stopped importing trash? Is it economical enough to recycle the used machines?
- zaarn 8y agoDisposable, used-once items are not automatically impossible to recycle or decompose.
- alfredallan1 8y agoYou’re right that they’re not impossible to recycle or decompose. I asked about the economics of getting that done..There’s already a huge problem now that the Chinese are no longer buying trash to recycle cheaply. If the cost of recycling is factored in, do these once-use products remain affordable and profitable? They’re not made from paper, but from plastics and metals, which take specialized recycling.
- ksnieck 8y agoThe Diamond Age
- deepakhj 8y agoBurgerworld by Delos?
- dreamcompiler 8y agoLow MTBF is why I've tossed all my household robots (Roomba vacs, Roomba floor mopper, and about half a dozen different cat litter robots). They save time T when they work, but they create new problems that require 2T to fix. It's a net loss.