Robotic kitchen assistant for preparing food items in a commercial kitchen and related methods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing commercial food preparation equipment is limited to cooking one type of food at a time, requires batch preparation, has high mechanical complexity leading to increased failure rates and costs, large footprint, and is expensive, making it challenging to automate food preparation in diverse kitchen environments with varying conditions and human collaboration.
Innovation Solution
A robotic kitchen assistant equipped with a robotic arm, sensors, and cameras that can recognize and locate food items, integrate with existing kitchen equipment, and perform various food preparation tasks, including frying, mixing, and plating, while collaborating with human workers to ensure safety and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated food preparation equipment is used, then productivity and consistency are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm system is designed to perform multiple food preparation tasks (grilling, flipping, moving, plating) using a single multi-functional platform, reducing the need for multiple specialized machines while maintaining high productivity across different cooking operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors and vision systems that enable automatic detection, tracking, and adjustment of food items during preparation, allowing the equipment to self-regulate cooking processes without constant human intervention, thereby improving consistency while managing complexity through automation
2Manufacturing precision
If specialized automated equipment is used, then cooking consistency is improved, but adaptability to different food types decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm employs dynamic control with real-time sensor feedback to adjust its movements and cooking parameters based on the specific food item being prepared, enabling consistent cooking results across diverse food types through adaptive rather than fixed programming
Solution Approach 2:
The system modifies cooking parameters (temperature, time, movement speed, position) dynamically based on sensor data about the food item, allowing the same equipment to maintain cooking consistency whether preparing burgers, vegetables, or other items by adjusting relevant parameters
3Productivity
If batch preparation equipment is used, then productivity is improved, but flexibility to prepare individual items decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the cooking process into discrete, independently controllable steps (placement, cooking, flipping, removal, plating) that can be executed in batches or individually, allowing flexible production modes from single-item preparation to large-scale batch cooking with the same equipment
4Productivity
If robotic automation is implemented, then labor costs are reduced, but ease of operation and collaboration with human workers decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates vision systems and sensors as intermediaries between the robotic arm and food items, enabling precise detection and tracking that facilitates safe and efficient collaboration with human workers by providing real-time awareness of the robotic arm's position and intentions
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible robotic kitchen assistant automates the preparation of food items. The robotic kitchen assistant includes a robotic arm, a sensor assembly comprising a plurality of cameras aimed at a kitchen workspace for preparing the food items, a controller operable to move the robotic arm, and a processor. The processor is operable to command the robotic arm to perform a food preparation step on the food items in the kitchen workspace based on order information, recipe information, kitchen equipment information, and camera data. The system is capable of performing a wide range of tasks commonly used in residential and commercial kitchens and is able to work collaboratively with and in close proximity to human kitchen workers.