Robotic Food Preparation Assembly for Precise Recipe Customization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current food and beverage preparation processes are time-consuming, imprecise, and prone to human errors, posing safety risks and failing to accommodate individual dietary needs or recipe customization, while existing automation is limited and space-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained, fully-automated food preparation and dispensing system using a robotic arm assembly with integrated components for ingredient storage, preparation, and dispensing, controlled by a system that translates recipes into executable instructions for the robotic arm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If human operators manually prepare food and beverages, then flexibility in recipe customization and dietary accommodation is maintained, but preparation precision, consistency, and safety are compromised due to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The automated food preparation system is designed with multi-functional capabilities that enable it to perform various cooking tasks while maintaining precision. The system can accommodate different recipes and dietary requirements through programmable instructions, allowing a single automated system to replace multiple human operators while maintaining both precision and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes programmable parameters such as temperature, time, and ingredient quantities to achieve precise preparation. By changing these parameters through software control, the system can adapt to different recipes and dietary requirements without sacrificing preparation precision, thus resolving the contradiction between automation precision and recipe flexibility.
2Extent of automation
If multiple special-purpose machines are used to automate narrow ranges of food preparation tasks, then automation extent increases, but device complexity and space requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple food preparation functions into a single integrated automated system. Rather than using separate special-purpose machines for different tasks, the system merges cooking, mixing, heating, and dispensing functions into one unified platform, thereby increasing automation extent while reducing overall system complexity and space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated system is designed as a multi-functional platform that can perform various food preparation tasks through programmable control. This universal design allows a single system to replace multiple specialized machines, reducing device complexity while maintaining high extent of automation across different preparation tasks.
3Reliability
If conventional semi-automated systems are used with human operators, then ease of operation is maintained, but preparation precision and safety are compromised due to human variability
Solution Approach 1:
The automated food preparation system operates autonomously based on programmable instructions, eliminating the need for continuous human intervention during the preparation process. The system self-regulates temperature, timing, and ingredient dispensing, thereby achieving high preparation reliability while maintaining ease of operation through simple interface control for recipe selection and parameter adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a system includes: a robotic system and a plurality of components coupled to a cloud computing system. Each of the plurality of components is configured to either: store ingredients under predetermined environmental conditions; store food preparation tools; dispense ingredients; blend, cook, or assemble ingredients into a completed food item; provide cleaning functionality to the system and/or components thereof; provide user access to completed food items; or display information relevant to a food item or preparation thereof to users. Methods of using such systems to prepare and dispense food items are also disclosed, and generally include translating recipes into instructions executable by the robotic system and/or components of the system, communicating such instructions, and executing such instructions.