According to the National Automatic Merchandising Association,[1] the convenience services industry generates $31 billion dollars for the U.S. economy annually, mostly from food and beverage vending machines. However, as anyone who has ever had to forage from a vending machine can attest, the offerings usually are not all that fresh nor nutritious: candy, gum, chips, soda.
But things are changing. Meet Sally, the Fresh Food Robot: she is six feet tall, a svelte 750 pounds, can be wheeled into a 3 ft by 3 ft space, and is capable of whipping up made-to-order salads with fresh ingredients. Sally is the brainchild of Chowbiotics,[2] a California-based company that uses sophisticated robotics technology and algorithms to offer customized, fresh meals at all hours, without food safety concerns. According to company literature, in 2020 Chowbiotics sold more than 350 robots serving over 250,000 meals worldwide.