Article

Robotic kiosk taking self-service to next level

Company testing ice cream in its new kiosk that uses a robot to makes five-layer concoctions.

November 6, 2011

A robot-making ice cream server may sound like science fiction, but it's not fiction. Allan Jones, CEO of Robofusion, believes his ice cream kiosks will change the way retailers sell ice cream.

Robofusion is a self-service kiosk that allows users to create their own five-layered ice cream treat without employee assistance. Once designed, the Robot puts on a show by getting a souvenir cup and filling it to customers' exact specifications, Jones said. (Click HEREto watch a demo.)

"We fuse technology and fun in a way that delivers a unique consumer experience," he said. "These kiosks are a game-changer and have forever changed the rules."

The robots require about 45 square feet and come in three options, corner, flat wall or free standing and can serve up to 40 treats per hour.

Taking it to market

The kiosks are perfect for malls, theaters and theme parks, according to Jones, who said five beta versions of the kiosks are already deployed in such places throughout the United States. Figuresfrom those tests suggest the kiosks will be highly successful, and Jones said the company is also tweaking the kiosk design based on retailers' suggestions before the official launch.

"We did this early design and now we're redesigning and cutting our costs," Jones said. "We didn't want to be like the iPhone where we launch and then relaunch at a much lower cost later."

The cost

Robofusion is pursuing two models: direct partnerships with large verticals, including movie theaters, and water park resorts. The second way for retailers to get on board with Robofusion is to make a franchise deal for at least 10 machines to develop a specific metro area. Jones said there are both revenue-share and rental options.

For $4,000, the company will install a kiosk at a retail location, train staff, and provide ongoing maintenance and support. The retailer receives a percentage of the monthly revenue generated by the kiosk based on the average number of treats sold each day. For example, the business owner receives 60 percent of sales for less than 60 treats sold per day, 65 percent up to 100 or 70 percent of anything above 100 treats sold. The retailer must supply ice cream mix and cups, spoons and napkins and follow a daily and weekly cleaning schedule.

Robo's retail partners set the price of an ice cream treat, but Jones said they usually cost between $6 and $7 each

"It's not a cheap product, but customers are willing to spend more for the fun experience of building a treat with a robot," Jones said.

One deal Jones is particularly excited about is one with a "popular frozen yogurt chain." Although he's not ready to name names, he said one of the major chains is looking to implement Robofusion in its frozen yougurt express locations. The kiosks will carry the frozen yogurt branding; Robofusion will simply supply the hardware.

Not just ice cream

Robofusion is also testing other food products, Jones said.

"This is the only robotic kiosk of this type in the world, so the goal is other products. It doesn't have to be ice cream; it's a device that delivers a layered concoction, and that could be a lot of things that you can eat and drink. People should view robofusion as a company building kiosks."

Read more about kiosk design.