New Robot Kitchen Can Cook and Clean
A British technology company has created what it says is the world's first fully automated kitchen system that can cook food and clean up after itself.
London-based Moley Robotics has released the Moley Kitchen following six years of research and testing using a team of 100 design and engineering experts and three award-winning chefs.
The system was launched at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition in Dubai in December, 2020.
The kitchen features a robot built into it that has two arms with hands that the company designed with the help of German robotic company SCHUNK. They are able to move like human hands, allowing them to take ingredients out of the fridge, change the temperature on the stovetop, cook a meal and put it on a plate in the same way a human would.
The robot uses sensors and cameras to help it find ingredients and equipment. There are also markers on the handles and lids to help it find and orient things correctly. It can even see food that has been dropped so it can clean up before and after cooking.
The company worked with chef and food writer Tim Anderson to develop the robot by capturing his cooking techniques in 3D and translating them into digital movement.
At launch, the kitchen could cook 30 different meals and more will be added each month. Eventually, the company plans to offer a digital menu with over 5,000 options in addition to their own recipes. Using a sharing platform, users will also be able to upload their own versions of recipes.
The kitchen can also tell users if ingredients need replacing and even suggest a meal based on what ingredients are available.
Currently, the kitchen costs more than $335,000. But Moley Robotics founder and CEO, Mark Oleynik, said he expects the price to reduce significantly as more are produced.
