Viral video: ‘Idli ATM’ in Bengaluru delivers meals in quick, contactless process

(Screenshot from video posted to YouTube)

Craving idlis at midnight? A startup has set up an idli bot or"idli ATM" in Bengaluru to prepare, package and dispense them in a quick process.

The machine is a product of the startup Freshot Robotics, founded by Bengaluru-based entrepreneurs Sharan Hiremath and Suresh Chandrashekaran, The Hindu Business Line reported.

A video on Twitter takes viewers inside their first experience store in the city. Through a fully-automated and contactless process, neatly packaged and steaming idlis are delivered within minutes, a customer who made the video said.

The idea to set up this machine came out of personal experience. It was 2016 and Sharan Hiremath wanted to buy idlis for his unwell daughter late at night but no restaurants were open, Deccan Herald reported.

Idli ATM in Bangalore... pic.twitter.com/NvI7GuZP6Y

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“The only way to have access to such food all the time was to build an automatic machine," he told the newspaper last year.

Another incident cemented this idea: Hiremath and Chandrashekaran being served hard and stale idlis one of their road trip, Hindu Business Line reported.

The founders say their foodbot is the first fully automated cooking and vending serving South Indian delicacies. They have presence in two locations in Bengaluru and plan to set up the machines at offices, railway stations and airports too.

And they don't want to stay limited to idlis and have plans to introduce  "dosabots", "ricebots" and "juicebots" also.