Venki Ayalur, cofounder and CTO at Blendid, joins Builder Nation’s Podcast host Elisa Muñoz to share his experience in food tech.

He also shares some insights about the Jamba collaboration, dives into hardware and software components, and the tools used to manage inventory.

Jamba by Blendid is the newest food automation service at the UCLA campus making up to 45 smoothies an hour. Learn more in this video brought to you by Santa Monica College.

Creating only smoothies, the Jamba by Blendid robot allows Bruins to tailor smoothies to their liking, said Geoff Henry, president of Jamba.

“Being able to customize it and then actually watch the robot make the smoothie, pour the smoothie, deliver the smoothie through the two-way glass door – it’s just a really fun experience,” Henry said.

When students return to UCLA this fall, they’ll have a new option for fresh, custom smoothies. A Jamba robot! Jamba by Blendid is a self-contained, fully automated kiosk. It requires just an 8 x 8-foot space to operate. It holds up to 20 ingredients and typically requires just a few hours of restocking a day.

If you have a kid heading to college in the fall, it might be time to have the talk. It’s okay to experiment, but don’t go crazy for the first robot you meet – you’ll have others.

That’s because college campuses are fast emerging as a critical early testing ground for the robotics sector. The latest example comes via juice purveyor Jamba and Blendid, a robotic food service solutions provider. The companies will roll out their autonomous robotic kiosk locations at UCLA.

Jamba by Blendid’s 24-hour service appears to be a good fit for high-traffic locations. College campuses in particular are populated with tech-savvy consumers, who are open to automation and may not have much free time during traditional restaurant hours. Research from Big Red Rooster also shows Gen Z diners are more likely to feel positive emotions in the presence of foodservice automation.

UCLA, the third college to open such a kiosk, will open Jamba by Blendid this summer in preparation for the 2022-2023 school year.

“We’re excited to finalize details for the official opening and to see how robotics and artificial intelligence technologies can help our food service operations keep pace with student and faculty needs,” said Cindy Bolton, director of ASUCLA food operations.

Robots are coming to the quick serve space, and it’s been fascinating to track the progression across various food offerings. In the latest iteration, smoothie purveyor Jamba is expanding its partnership with food automation firm Blendid on additional robotic smoothie kiosks.

When a customer approaches Jamba’s robotic kiosks in Dixon or Downey, California, one of the first things they do is pull out their phone and start recording. As Jamba president Geoff Henry says, it’s pure entertainment to see that initial time the robotic system makes your customized smoothie.