Robots that slice, grill, assemble and bag 400 burgers in one hour could soon take over restaurants everywhere.

Momentum Machines first unveiled its autonomous grill master, which can do the work of three human burger flippers, in 2012.

Now the robotics company has secured $18 million (£14 million) in venture funding, reigniting old fears that the machines could soon replace human workers in fast-food restaurants.

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Robots that slice, grill, assemble and bag 400 burgers in one hour could soon take over restaurants everywhere (pictured is a burger made up one of the bots)

BURGER BOT In 2012, Momentum Machines debuted its fully autonomous burger-making robot. Customers will be able to customize their meat with their own specifications, such as asking for their preferred ratio of pork to bison. The 24ft (10m-wide) machine will also slice toppings like tomatoes and pickles immediately before the burger is ready for serving so that everything is as fresh as possible. And it will even wrap it and place it the bag for you to grab and go. Advertisement

In 2012, Momentum Machines debuted its fully autonomous bot, which can assemble and bag a fresh burger without any help.

The release of its innovated burger making machine boasted: 'Our alpha machine replaces all of the hamburger line cooks in a restaurant.

'It does everything employees can do except better.'



Customers will be able to customize their meat with their own specifications, such as asking for their preferred ratio of pork to bison.

The machine will also slice toppings like tomatoes and pickles immediately before the burger is ready for serving so that everything is as fresh as possible.

And it will even wrap it and place it the bag for you to grab and go.

The company claims that their method is not only more efficient that a human-operated kitchen but more sanitary, and that the savings on labor can be put towards better ingredients for a gourmet burger that no one has to cook.

Momentum Machines' robot is made up of an oven, stamper, slicer for fresh vegetables and a bagger (pictured). The machine will also slice toppings like tomatoes and pickles immediately before the burger is ready for serving so that everything is as fresh as possible

WORLD'S FIRST ROBOT BURGER BAR According to Momentum Machines job posting on Craigslists, the startup plans to open its restaurant at 680 Folsom street in San Francisco California. The burgers will be fresh-ground and grilled to order. Customers can specify what type of meat mixture they want and build their own burger. Humans will be employeed at the facility but for other tasks such as payroll and taking out the garbage. The Craiglist posting shares specific characteristics the firm is looking for in human workers: autonomous, conscientious, autodidactic and service orientated --the word robot does not show up once in the Craigslist post. Advertisement

And because the machine only takes up 24-square feet, there's more room for spacious seating and a 'better overall dining room experience'.

The company's efforts have just been bolstered by $18 million (£14 million) in funding, according to a file from the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

With the minimum wage increasing in parts of the US, the idea of hiring a staff of robots may seem attractive to CEOs.

Former McDonald's USA CEO Ed Rensi has said it would be cheaper to hire robots to replace the company's staff than to pay them higher wages.

'It's cheaper to buy a $35,000 [£27,400] robotic arm than it is to hire an employee who's inefficient making $15 [£12] an hour bagging french fries,' Rensi told Fox Business last year.

He added that the demand to raise wages is 'going to cause a job loss across this country like you're not going to believe.'

Momentum Machines has since been looking for a location to open up its first robot-led restaurant.

Momentum Machines first turned heads in 2012 when it unveiled its burger making robot and plans for a new restaurant chain (pictured)

According to a Momentum Machines job posting on Craigslists, the startup plans to open its restaurant at 680 Folsom street in San Francisco, California

Details about what the restaurant might look like spread after a job ad posted on Craigslist surfaced last year.

Although all the restaurant's food will be be prepared by robots, the ad claimed to be seeking 'autonomous' and 'autodidactic' human workers to carry out other tasks -such as taking out the rubbish.

‘We are the team who will open and operate Momentum Machines' first restaurant,’ the Craigslist job posting read.

News of the robot-run burger restaurant spread after a job posting on Craigslist surfaced last year

‘This location will feature the world-premiere of our proprietary and remarkable new advances in technology that enable the automatic creation of impossibly delicious burgers at prices everyone can afford. ‘

‘The burgers sold at 680 Folsom will be fresh-ground and grilled to order, served on toasted brioche, and accented by an infinitely personalizable variety of fresh produce, seasonings, and sauces.’