Robot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooking robots lack the ability to efficiently process and quantify food ingredients in a form that is easily transportable and measurable, which hinders their cooking capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A robot system comprising an ingredient processor, an ingredient mold, and a rotating device that mixes food ingredients with water, cools the mixture, and rotates the mold to form a solid ingredient, allowing for precise processing and shaping of ingredients into a form that is easy to handle and transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If food ingredients are processed into a form that is easily transportable and quantified, then handling and measurement precision improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ingredient processor combines multiple functions (mixing, grinding, shaping) into a single integrated device. The processor mixes food ingredients with water, grinds them through a grinding rotor, and forms them into balls using a mold, eliminating the need for separate processing equipment and improving measurement precision while maintaining manageable complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The ingredient processor is designed as a multi-functional device that can handle different types of food ingredients (solid, liquid, powder) and process them into a standardized ball form. This universal processing capability improves measurement and handling precision across various ingredient types while consolidating equipment requirements.
2Productivity
If the ingredient processor integrates mixing, grinding, and shaping functions, then productivity improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ingredient processor integrates mixing, grinding, and shaping functions into a single continuous process. The processor mixes ingredients with water, the grinding rotor pulverizes them, and the mold forms them into balls sequentially, significantly improving productivity by eliminating transfer steps between separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor performs preliminary mixing and grinding actions before the shaping stage. By pre-mixing ingredients with water and pre-grinding them into fine particles before molding, the system optimizes the shaping process and improves overall productivity through streamlined sequential operations.
3Ease of operation
If the robot arm includes an internal ingredient channel, then ease of operation improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ingredient channel is nested within the robot arm structure, with the channel integrated into the arm's internal geometry. This nesting approach allows the robot arm to transport ingredients directly from the processor to the cooking container without external transfer mechanisms, improving ease of operation while concealing the added structural complexity within the arm itself.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the robot to process ingredients into a consistent, easily transferable form, improving cooking efficiency and allowing for precise measurement and handling of ingredients, enhancing the overall cooking performance.
Implementation Method 1
a cooler configured to cool the ingredient mold
Implementation Method 2
a rotating device configured to rotate the ingredient mold in a plurality of directions
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes an ingredient processor configured to produce a mixture by mixing food ingredients with water; an ingredient mold spaced apart from the ingredient processor and having a space portion to form a space for receiving the mixture supplied from the ingredient processor; a cooler configured to cool the ingredient mold; and a rotating device configured to rotate the ingredient mold in a plurality of directions.