Robotic Food Assembly With 3D Sensing for Precise Placement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current food industry systems lack an efficient and automated method for assembling foodstuff, particularly in high-throughput applications like airline catering and low-throughput settings like restaurants, which often rely on manual labor and are prone to inconsistencies and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A robotic foodstuff assembly system comprising a robot arm, a frame, foodstuff bins, a sensor suite, a food utensil, and a computing system, which enables the picking of foodstuff from bins and placement into containers, facilitating bulk material transfer and adaptable to various food assembly applications through modular design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual labor is used for food assembly, then flexibility in handling various food items is maintained, but efficiency and consistency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system performs food assembly autonomously without continuous human intervention. The robot arm independently picks food items from bins, determines placement locations, and places them in containers, enabling self-service operation that simultaneously improves efficiency and consistency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical assembly with an automated robotic system equipped with sensors and control algorithms. The robotic arm with food utensil substitutes human hands, while image processing and depth mapping replace human visual assessment, achieving both higher productivity and consistent results
2Productivity
If automated robotic systems are implemented, then productivity and consistency are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is designed with multi-functionality to handle various food items and container types using the same basic apparatus. The food utensil can adapt to different food textures and sizes, and the imaging system can process diverse food presentations, reducing the need for multiple specialized devices
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computing system that acts as a bridge between the simple robotic arm and the complex tasks of food assembly. The computing system handles image processing, depth mapping, and decision-making, allowing the physical robotic components to remain relatively simple while achieving sophisticated assembly capabilities
3Manufacturing precision
If precise robotic placement is implemented, then food waste is reduced and aesthetics are improved, but measurement and detection difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from 2D image capture to 3D depth mapping by processing images through camera calibration and depth calculation algorithms. This dimensional transformation enables the system to assess food surface topography, calculate volumes, and determine precise placement locations in three-dimensional space, overcoming the limitations of flat image analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging system provides continuous feedback about the food bin contents and container state to the control system. By repeatedly capturing images and updating the depth map, the system monitors changes in food levels and placement results, enabling real-time adjustments to maintain precision while managing the complexity of food surface assessment
Data Source
AI summary
The foodstuff assembly system can include: a robot arm, a frame, a set of foodstuff bins, a sensor suite, a set of food utensils, and a computing system. The system can optionally include: a container management system, a human machine interface (HMI). However, the foodstuff assembly system 100 can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The system functions to enable picking of foodstuff from a set of foodstuff bins and placement into a container (such as a bowl, tray, or other foodstuff receptacle). Additionally or alternatively, the system can function to facilitate transferal of bulk material (e.g., bulk foodstuff) into containers, such as containers moving along a conveyor line.