The coffee making droid can serve as many as 300 different combinations.

Even with appliances like microwave ovens and other kitchen gadgets available in the market, meals cooked by human beings are irreplaceable no matter what level of speed and convenience a machine can deliver. But lately, robots are occupying a larger role in the food and beverages sector, by stepping in as waiters at cafes in Middle Eastern cities, or by becoming a part of the mechanism to deliver fresh meals at events like Expo 2020 in Dubai.

Speaking of major tech exhibitions, droids have managed to thrill visitors at venues in the UAE, by dishing out wholesome food, or even serving masterfully mixed beverages, by emulating the skills of chefs from across the globe. Placing their faith in the ability of smart machines to create concoctions just as good as human beings trained in their craft can, a firm called Crown Coffee is offering robots that can make a cup of coffee, similar to that made by a Barista.

Named simply as ELLA, the device empowered with six-axis robotic arms is capable of serving up as many as 200 cups of coffee every hour, and has something for everyone with 300 different mixes etched into its digital memory. Initially developed as a measure to address staff shortage at cafes, the robo-barista can now be found at offices and establishments across the globe, making mornings lively for coffee aficionados.

It started off as a collaboration with a firm that uses telemetry, a technology where data is collected and relayed for analysis in an automated manner. Now through a partnership with Etisalat, the company has been able to secure a large number of orders for ELLA from Saudi Arabia.

Collaboration with a major telco in the gulf has also meant that the firm will set up a base in Abu Dhabi, which opens up the Middle East as a lucrative market for the smart coffee making droid.