Robot Arm Ice Cream Dispensing With Cup Rotation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for serving ice cream are inefficient due to poor hygiene, non-uniform scooping, and high labor requirements, and there is a lack of automated systems for making ice cream.
Innovation Solution
A robot arm system that uses capsule-type ice cream and a robot arm to automatically extract, dispense, and shape ice cream into a uniform shape based on user order information, reducing human labor and ensuring consistent quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a person scoops ice cream with a spoon or spatula, then ice cream can be served to customers, but hygiene is poor, the amount scooped is not uniform, and a lot of human labor is required
Solution Approach 1:
The ice cream capsule automatically dispenses ice cream itself without requiring human scooping. The capsule contains pre-packaged ice cream that is mechanically extruded into the cup, allowing the product to serve its own dispensing function and eliminating manual labor while ensuring consistent hygiene standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the ice cream from a large shared container and packages it in individual capsules. This separation removes the hygiene contamination risk associated with repeated access to bulk ice cream while enabling automated dispensing that ensures uniform portions without manual intervention.
2Extent of automation
If ice cream is squeezed out with an extruder, then ice cream can be discharged automatically, but a person's skilled hand technique and close attention are still required to uniformly put ice cream into a cup or cone without spilling
Solution Approach 1:
The ice cream capsule is designed to be self-contained with all necessary dispensing mechanisms integrated. The capsule automatically controls the extrusion and portioning of ice cream without requiring the operator to manually control the extruder or monitor the dispensing process, thereby achieving full automation while eliminating the need for skilled hand techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The capsule acts as an intermediary device between the ice cream source and the cup. It contains the ice cream in a controlled environment and uses an integrated extrusion mechanism to automatically dispense the correct amount into the cup, removing the need for human operators to skillfully coordinate extrusion and cup positioning.
3Productivity
If a robot arm system is used to automatically make ice cream, then human labor is reduced and uniform quality is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the ice cream into pre-packaged capsules that contain all necessary components for automated dispensing. This simplifies the robot arm system because it only needs to handle capsules and cups rather than managing complex ice cream extrusion and portioning mechanisms, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining high productivity and uniform quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice cream capsule is designed as a self-contained unit that automatically dispenses the correct amount of ice cream when activated. This eliminates the need for the robot arm system to include complex control mechanisms for extrusion timing and portion control, as the capsule performs these functions autonomously, thus reducing overall system complexity while enabling rapid automated production.
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
The system enables rapid, automated production of uniformly shaped ice cream, reducing human labor and improving hygiene, while providing an integrated service including ordering, payment, making, and delivery.
Implementation Method 1
pressing the ice cream capsule disposed on the capsule support through the downward movement of a push bar; and discharging the ice cream through a hole in the bottom surface of the ice cream capsule in response to the pressure applied by the push bar
Implementation Method 2
controlling the robot arm so that the cup is rotated while the ice cream is being discharged
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a method of controlling a robot arm to make ice cream. The method of controlling includes: receiving ice cream order information; gripping an ice cream capsule disposed on a table using the gripper of a robot arm; placing the ice cream capsule on a capsule support; gripping a cup configured to accommodate ice cream using the gripper of the robot arm; moving the cup under the capsule support while the gripper is gripping the cup; and discharging ice cream in the ice cream capsule to the cup. Discharging the ice cream includes controlling the robot arm so that the cup is rotated while the ice cream is being discharged.