NEW REPORT: When Robots Man The Grill

There’s been no shortage of speculation — including doomsday declarations — about the potential impact of automation, smart technology and artificial intelligence (AI) on the employment market. But could a realistic future have humans working and living alongside IoT-connected devices, collaborating rather than being replaced?

In the latest issue of the Intelligence of Things (IoT) Tracker, PYMNTS explores the latest news from around the IoT space, including how companies are looking to bring (and bringing) AI into the home and workplace.

Around the IoT World

The smart technology-enabled home has arrived. Household devices and appliances from speakers to refrigerators are starting to feature capabilities typically associated with smartphones and computers — all fostered by the power of the Intelligence of Things connectivity.

And, over the past month, several companies looked to continue improving upon smart home technology by debuting new IoT-connected offerings.

As Amazon prepares to deliver its 10 millionth Echo intelligent speaker later this year, the company is hoping to use the Alexa-powered device to corner the intercom market. It recently debuted a new Echo upgrade, which will give users the capability to deliver voice and video messages to various rooms and devices throughout their homes.

But, of course, Amazon has competition in the smart speaker market. Chinese eCommerce giant Alibaba, for instance, recently announced the debut of its answer to Amazon’s offering, and Google’s Home may be smarter than Alexa. According to a new study, the Google device is six times more likely to answer questions correctly than Alexa.

Find a roundup of the latest notable headlines from around the world of connected technology, inside the IoT Tracker’s News and Trends section.

Robot v. Food?

Alexa and its ilk may be changing the way people live their lives at home, but robotics and machines have already been a reality in factories. Could they also change the way commercial chefs prepare meals at restaurants? A new burger-flipping robot built by Miso Robotics, called Flippy, may be a window into the future of the connected commercial kitchen.

In a recent interview for the latest Tracker’s feature story, David Zito, co-founder and CEO of Miso Robotics told PYMNTS how Flippy was created with input from and works alongside human chefs in restaurants and relies on, among other technology, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things connectivity, cameras and sensors to flip burgers. And, in the future, he’ll do even more.

“Flippy is really, at its core right now, a hamburger-flipping robot,” David Zito said. “Beyond that, though, it’s really an AI-powered kitchen assistant that works collaboratively alongside chefs in commercial kitchens. It works with a chef, so it works on a lot of the predictable and repeatable tasks, so that chefs can focus on the things that matter to them.”

To read the story, along with the latest IoT headlines and trends, and to find rankings of 199 major providers — including 10 new additions — download the IoT Tracker.

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To download the latest edition of the PYMNTS.com Intelligence of Things Tracker, click the button below …

About the Tracker

The PYMNTS.com Intelligence of Things Tracker showcases companies that are leading the way in all aspects of the Intelligence of Things. Every month, the Tracker looks at what these companies are doing across the ecosystem and in several categories, including Personal, Home, Retail, Transportation, Wearable, Mobile, Infrastructure, Data and more.