Chipotle Introduces Autocado, a Robot That Makes Guacamole

On Wednesday, the global fast-casual restaurant chain announced via press release that they are testing a new avocado processing device

Chipotle has announced a new mean, green Guacamole-making machine!

On Wednesday, the global fast-casual restaurant chain, formally named Chipotle Mexican Grill, announced via press release that they are testing a new avocado processing device called the Autocado.

Partnering with Vebu to create the collaborative robot, or "cobot", the Autocado cuts, cores, and peels avocados before they are hand-mashed to create the restaurant's signature guacamole.

Additionally, the company shared that they are investing in Vebu through its Cultivate Next venture fund to help develop additional innovation opportunities in the restaurant business.

"We are committed to exploring collaborative robotics to drive efficiencies and ease pain points for our employees," Curt Garner, Chief Customer and Technology Officer at Chipotle, shared in the press statement. "The intensive labor of cutting, coring, and scooping avocados could be relieved with Autocado, but we still maintain the essential culinary experience of hand mashing and hand preparing the guacamole to our exacting standards."

Known for its high-quality ingredients, the famed burrito brand launched in Denver in 1993 and has since been opening stores in the U.K., Canada, and Europe, with over 2,000 locations and counting.

This year, Chipotle is expecting to use roughly 4.5 million cases of avocados. With Autocado, the company aims to increase avocado fruit yield, which in turn, can lead to millions of dollars in annual food cost savings.

Buck Jordan, CEO of Vebu, also spoke on the test endeavor.

"Our purpose as a robotic company is to leverage automation technology to give workers more flexibility in their day-to-day work," Jordan said. "Autocado has the potential to work alongside Chipotle crew members to create the same, delicious guacamole that Chipotle fans love but more efficiently than ever before."

Last March, the chain announced it was testing out Chippy, a robot that uses artificial intelligence to make tortilla chips — the first and only chip-making robot.

Related: Chipotle Is Testing Out a Robot Named Chippy to Make Its Tortilla Chips — Watch It in Action

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Chipotle's culinary team worked with robot-maker Miso Robotics to perfect Chippy, tailoring its technology to replicate their exact recipe. The machine cooks chips to perfection using corn masa flour, water and sunflower oil, then seasons the chips with a dusting of salt, and finishes them with a hint of fresh lime juice.

It was "imperative that the technique remained the same so customers receive delicious, craveable chips every time," the brand explained in a release.

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