This article was published on August 2, 2013

Briggo’s robot-powered Coffee Haus lets you order and track a hot cup of Joe with your smartphone


Briggo’s robot-powered Coffee Haus lets you order and track a hot cup of Joe with your smartphone

Baristas the world over will argue that coffee shops needs a human touch to ensure that customers get a perfect brew day-in, day-out.

Briggo is hoping to change all of that with what it calls the Coffee Haus, a fully automated kiosk that uses robotics to take orders, crush beans and ultimately serve up that little cup of caffeinated goodness.

Customers can submit their order via the company’s mobile site and also select the exact time they would like to pick it up. Briggo then sends the user a text message when it’s ready, eliminating traditional queues and wait times.

But is it good coffee? “The Briggo Coffee Haus individually grinds and brews each espresso beverage and prepares it to order using artisan coffees, fresh milk and gourmet syrups, creating outstanding espresso shots and great lattes,” Scott McMartin, Briggo’s vice president of coffee strategy and operations claims.

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The first Briggo Coffee Haus was launched at the University of Texas in Austin earlier this week, replacing a prototype that’s been on campus since 2011. The company now plans to open additional kiosks in airports, hospitals and corporate campuses dotted across the United States.

The kiosk itself was created in partnership with Yves Behar and the rest of the Fuseproject team – the guys behind the design of the OUYA, Fan TV and various Jawbone products.

Although the entire kiosk is automated, the team said it was important to made each Coffee Haus look, smell and feel like a conventional coffee shop. Briggo is also hard at work developing a smartphone app for Android and iOS to streamline saving favorite orders, finding new kiosks and sharing to various social networks.

The question remains though: Can a robot really create a cup of coffee that tastes better than the work of a professional barista? What if I want some chocolate sprinkled on top in the shape of my face?

Image Credit: Briggo & Fuseproject

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