‘The Jetsons’ Inspired Real Life ‘Roboburgers’ In Newark

NEWARK, NJ — They’re called RoboBurgers, and according to their creator, the artificially intelligent machines that dispense them are inspired by a blast from the past: “The Jetsons.”

Over the past year, CEO Audley Wilson and his backers have been notching some big wins for his brainchild, a self-operating vending machine capable of cranking out a cooked-on-the-spot hamburger in roughly four minutes – all with the press of a button.

If that sounds like a futuristic idea, you’re right, Wilson says. He got inspiration for the concept from “The Jetsons,” the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon that debuted in the 1960s and was set in the “future” of the 21st century.

For Wilson – who chose to headquarter his fledgling operation in Newark – the labor of love began with his days as a student at Carnegie Mellon University. There, he started thinking about food robots that could automate the process of cooking, from start to finish.

It took a little bit of work, Wilson admits; his first burger robot prototype was the size of his dad’s garage. But after years of perfecting the idea, the RoboBurger concept is taking off in New Jersey. After opening its first pop-up location last March in Jersey City’s Newport Mall, RoboBurger vending machines can now be found at St. John's University in Queens, New York, and the Pilot Flying J in Newark, one of the largest urban truck rest stop chains in the region. There are plans to expand with another unit at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan in February.

Wondering how a RoboBurger is made? According to the company’s website, there’s a five-step process very similar to how a human cook prepares a burger:

• Step 1 – The robot dispenses the patty on the griddle and grills it on both sides
• Step 2 – It toasts the bun
• Step 3 – It dispenses the condiment selection
• Step 4 – The robot assembles the burger
• Step 5 – RoboBurger delivers the burger to the user

Then there’s the finance side of the equation.

Running a small business is no easy feat, especially considering the current economic conditions. However, Wilson said he is one of several minority small business owners who found support at a critical time from Fiserv through its newly-launched Back2Business program in New Jersey, a statewide initiative that will award approximately $1 million in grants to minority-owned small businesses.

The city of Newark – where all RoboBurger vending machines are assembled – will continue to play a key role in the company’s development. But Wilson is already looking at the bigger picture. Thanks to a $10,000 grant and training from Fiserv, Wilson said he can continue his plans to take his company national through franchisees.

As if creating the world’s first “burger robot in a vending format” wasn’t challenging enough, Wilson said he recently decided to take it up a notch and get his creation approved by the National Sanitary Foundation (NSF)

“We are proud to say that currently RoboBurger is the only hot food robotic vending unit that was approved by the NSF,” the entrepreneur told Patch. “This is huge!”

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