Briggo Espresso Robot – experimental cafe technology

As regular readers of our blog will know we like to keep an eye on how technological innovations are impacting the retail industry and this week we were interested in this new piece of cafe technology – a prototype ‘Espresso Robot’ – which is currently being tested at the University of Texas.

The Briggo Coffe Haus has been developed by Briggo in conjunction with Fuseproject and Yves Behar. The idea behind the machine is not to produce the insipid brown-coloured warm water often proffered by unmanned vending machines of yore – but to deliver perfect creations, tailored especially for each customer via a simple touchscreen interface or smartphone app. The Briggo Coffe Haus uses only the finest ingredients and automated barrista methods to deliver the perfect caffeinated beverage. But will it work? – Where do you stand on the personal touch? Do you enjoy your daily chat with the coffee shop staff as they prepare your drink or do you prefer an impersonal experience without the mindless small talk; pre-ordered and paid for via a mobile app and collected without so much as a backwards glance – it could certainly cut down the queues but do we really want to cut the contact?

The design of the Coffe Haus is certainly slick  – and slightly retro; with dark coloured, curved wooden veneers  and a window where you can view the drinks being made before collection. If you want to check it out for yourself the first machine will be installed at Bergstrom Airport in Austin, Texas and as with many of the innovative concepts we have blogged about, we will be very interested to see if it catches on over here too – do you think human barristas could ever be replaced?