Watch a robot barista create latte art

Artly Coffee, a Seattle-based startup, aims to make specialty coffee accessible to everyone by serving beverages prepared by an AI-powered robot barista instead of a human.

You can get a cheap cup of coffee at almost any gas station or fast food drive-thru, but if you want something special, like a honey rose-flavored latte topped with a steamed oat milk flower, you’ll need to visit a specialty coffee shop.

Even if you live in a neighborhood with a fantastic coffee shop, it may be difficult to find a barista who can make your specialty drink consistently and flawlessly. This is especially true outside of major cities. Even if you live near one, you will likely pay a premium for the beverage.

The robot barista at Artly learned how to prepare drinks by observing the award-winning barista Joe Yang.

The robot barista: Artly has now developed a robotic platform that creates specialty coffee drinks autonomously; without human baristas, Artly can sell its beverages anywhere at a lower price and still make a profit.

CEO Meng Wang told Geekwire that AI and robotics make it easier for his company to scale than traditional specialty coffee shops.

Read more • freethink.com