ZD Net is reporting that Little Caesars was issued a patent for an “automated pizza assembly system,” which is just a fancy way of saying a pizza-making robot. The patent, which you can see here, details that the robot will be accompanied by “a pizza sauce spreading station, a cheese spreading station and a pepperoni applying station.” The robot’s arm will have a gripper to latch onto the pies, and a rotary dial system will help guarantee that the cheese, sauce, and pepperoni are spread evenly.
The robot is supposedly meant to help retail workers with the “labor-intensive endeavor” of making a pizza, and ensure that they can perform “other value-added tasks.” But, the use of robotics in the pizza-making process shows that Little Caesars is looking to get an edge on their competition by appealing to the customer’s desire for quicker service and low prices. Luckily for the popular pizza chain, something like taste has never been their strong suit, compared to the likes of Pizza Hut and Domino’s.
In a much more grave outlook on the future, this pizza-making robot could be the beginning of the end for humans working in the kitchen. If a robot can perform the same tasks as a human, and live up to similar standards at a fraction of the cost, where’s the need for a human? Basically, what we’re trying to say is that if you work in Little Caesars and Pat the pizza-making robot starts intruding on your day-to-day work, put a hit on the thing and throw it in the nearest lake, ocean, whatever. Your job is hanging in the balance!
