I bided my time in capturing this image of a sushi robot at Yummy Sushi in Rockefeller Center. A security guard is usually posted nearby, and they and cameras don't mix. But I walk by every morning and evening--their secret could not remain safe for long. The robot is the oddly shaped metal box left of center. I've never seen it in use. I'm guessing the process involves loading of a stack of nori in a slot, and dumping rice in the top. The robot spreads the rice in an appropriate layer, the operator puts the other ingredients in the middle, and possibly the robot then rolls it up, but that functionality might be reserved for fancier models. Apparently these are more common in Japan, and very common at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants.

Linkage: Images of a sushi robot catalog. The inside story of making the sushi robot. Sushi Robots for sale at Korin, with prices ranging from $3,500 to $15,000. Get ready for 2,800 rice balls per hour.