Category: Urban objects

On the second floor of the Muji store in the Atrium on Bay (20 Dundas Street West), there Is a curious-looking bit of automation sitting on their coffee bar. Introducing Jarvis, the robot barista.

Installed in spring of 2024, the automated coffee maker whips up your beverage order using two robotic arms; steaming milk, pulling espresso shots and even creating espresso art, just like a human barista.

The entire process is automated. I had read about this robot barista and wanted to give the thing a try. To kick things off, I stepped up to the Artly ordering system on the counter and placed my order on the screen for an Iced Chocolate Milk (alternatively, Artly has a smartphone app where your order can be placed):

The screen then stated how long the process was going to take, and prompted me to stand by. Suddenly Jarvis came to life and started concocting my order for an Iced Chocolate Milk. Here’s how it all went down:

After delivering the drink to my highlighted delivery point on the counter, Jarvis stopped and said he couldn’t continue as he required human intervention to top up his supply of cream and milk… OK, so the whole thing is almost automated. Human intervention arrived in the form of the fellow below, which kept Jarvis happy for the rest of the beverage orders.

The whole process is quite fascinating, even amusing. As he works, Jarvis is very exacting and slow-moving so I don’t think humanoid baristas will have to worry too much about job security. As I watched Jarvis’s robotic, precise, methodical drink-making process, I was thinking it would be absolutely hilarious if the thing suddenly went totally berserk, flinging latte and chocolate all over the place with wild abandon. So much for automation.

The coffee company behind these robotic baristas is Artly Coffee. They are a coffee brand known for integrating advanced technology with the coffee-making process. They utilize AI-powered robotic baristas to prepare and serve coffee, aiming to offer a consistent and high-quality coffee experience. Artly Coffee claims they are part of a growing trend of using automation and technology in the food and beverage industry to enhance service quality and customer experience.

There is also a robot barista in the Vancouver Muji store on Robson Street. By all accounts Jarvis is a big hit on the west coast as well.

We’ll see how long Jarvis rides the current wave of automated coffee machines. I’ve noticed a couple of the automated robots from RC Coffee are now gone from downtown Toronto, so we’ll just have to wait and see if Artly endures.