Episode 18 - How AI and Robotics are Fueling the Future of Food

Food delivery robots are just one of the many examples of artificial intelligence applications in the food industry. Robot-powered Zume Pizza, valued at almost $4 billion, was one of the first of Derek Pietz’s projects in the food and restaurant industry. With a background in hardware, he started his own company- L2Fwhich built custom equipment to help businesses in the food and beverage space automate, which included building robots too. Now he’s making an impact as the VP of Automation at Hyphen Technologies (Formerly Ono Food Co.) where he’s crafting productivity tools for restaurants, analyzing restaurant data, and building robotic appliances.  Labor shortages in the food and beverage industry are nothing new, but after a global pandemic, the industry was hit harder than ever. Foodservice organizations are turning to automation and robotic solutions to help conquer labor shortages and enhance food safety.  Utilizing automation alongside employees can streamline processes, including production, assembly, quality control, and reporting. The time and labor saved allows for individuals to focus on cognitively challenging tasks and hospitality, while redundant work is mastered by a machine.   Talking Points: Derek’s background as a mechanical engineer and how it led into the food and beverage industry How the power of AI has been utilized in the food and beverage space L2F’s mission and purpose How automation may play a larger role in the food and beverage industry Hyphen and how it is saving the industry Leveraging technology to let people focus on the human aspect Artificial intelligence versus machine intelligence What excites Derek about the future of AI in the food and beverage industry   Resources/Links: UseHyphen.com FortressIQ If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and check out our series at fortressiq.com/podcast. Thanks for joining us today on hello, Human.