How technology is changing the humble burger #nationalburgerday

Here at Connected Space there is not much we love more than a burger. Paired with fries (and occasionally a beer), it’s a combination that’s scientifically* proven to focus the mind and get you cracking on with the long, long, long to-do list we all have floating around. Burgers and tech are kinda our thing. And so for National Burger Day 2017 (that’s today should you need any other excuse to chow down on a good burger), we thought we’d celebrate with 5 of the top tech stories about burgers. See what we did there?
NY Times have dubbed this the ‘tech industry answer to the Big Mac’. Whilst not as readily available as a McDonalds burger, the Impossible Foods company seem to have achieved, well, the impossible. An entirely vegan burger that allegedly acts and tastes like meat, down to the juicy ‘bleeding’ synonymous with a good quality patty, the Impossible Burger is truly one that you would have to see to believe. We’ll take 12.
2. Flippy, the burger grilling robot
From impossible meat-free burgers to robots that can grill your burgers to perfection. AI and automated robotics combine in one functional machine that takes the humans away from the dangerous preparation areas in the traditional model of burger making. Able to flip burgers and chop onions, the Flippy robotic assistant is already being trialled in one Pasadena restaurant, with more to come in the next couple years.
3. McDonald’s Futuristic Kiosk
McDonald’s. The company that undoubtedly springs to the forefront of most people’s minds when they hear the magic word ‘burger’ uttered. Cheap, available everywhere, and the cure to most ills on a night out/the next morning, there’s a reason why McDonald’s is insanely popular. They know their burger stuff. So it’s no surprise that McDonald’s are at the forefront of the burger experience, and their new kiosks that allow the customer to make their own custom burger come as no surprise. An expensive investment for the company? Yes. But for the customer? An invaluable addition to the service. Even if you can go a little mad with this new found power and end up taking everything out of your burger. Including the burger.
4. Bug Burgers
In 2017 there is no shortage of companies trying to invent burgers without the — burger. Or at least the burger as we know it, the traditional beef or chicken patty. From Beyond Meat to the Impossible Burger catering to the vegan and vegetarian market, as well as those trying to be more ethical and watch their environmental footprint, it was only a matter of time before someone took it that one step further. And that step further? Bugs.
5. Lab Meat
Not the most appealing of names, but one that does what it says on the tin. Real meat. Grown in a lab. Good for those amongst us who love meat, don’t want to switch to the plant based alternatives, but feel that twinge of ethical guilt anytime we chow down on a juicy cheese topped, bun enveloped meat patty. Potentially the future of where our meat production will eventually go, this is all the fun of meat but without a real animal being involved.
*There’s no actual scientific evidence. Yet.

