An automated sandwich lidding tool is provided and comprises means for placing one slice of bread on top of another.

There is provided a control apparatus and a control method for enabling a cooking robot to perform cooking efficiently. The control apparatus according to one aspect of the present technology acquires multiple recipe programs each prepared for a dish to be finished by a cooking robot going through multiple cooking processes, thereby creating a cooking process plan on the basis of a resource required for each of the cooking processes. The control apparatus further causes the cooking robot to parallelly execute those of the cooking processes that are parallelly executable for cooking different dishes, on the basis of the cooking process plan. The present technology can be applied to a computer that controls the cooking robot.

A robot includes an ingredient mold configured to process food ingredients into solid ingredients; a storage container configured to store the solid ingredients processed in the ingredient mold; a transfer tube through which the solid ingredients in the storage container pass; a feed tube connected to the transfer tube, formed with an ingredient port, and having a passage configured to guide ingredients to the ingredient port; and a feeder configured to feed the solid ingredients, which are moved to the feed tube, to the ingredient port.

A robot includes a robot arm including an arm to which an end effector is connected, in which the arm and the end effector are formed therein with an ingredient channel through which ingredients pass. The ingredient channel includes a first channel having an ingredient inlet into which the ingredients are introduced and extending from the ingredient inlet toward the end effector; and a second channel having an ingredient outlet provided in the end effector and positioned after the first channel in an ingredient transfer direction to guide the ingredients at a different speed from a speed of the first channel.

In an embodiment, a method during execution of a motion plan by a robotic arm includes determining a voice command from speech of a user said during the execution of the motion plan, determining a modification of the motion plan based on the voice command from the speech of the user, and executing the modification of the motion plan by the robotic arm.

Example embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to food preparation systems and associated automated gantry systems. An example automated food preparation system may include a housing that supports one or more baskets therein and a gantry system. The gantry system may include a retrieval arm and a drive system operably coupled with the retrieval arm. The drive system may cause movement of the retrieval arm in at least two directions relative to the housing. In operation, the retrieval arm may engage a basket and cause movement of the basket about the housing. In some instances, an ejection mechanism is provided that receives the basket from the retrieval arm and causes removal of the contents of the basket.

An end effector system can include: an optional actuator; an optional utensil mating connector; and a utensil. The utensil can include: a set of scoops; a set of mechanical linkages; a set of ingressive elements; and/or any other suitable components. However, the end effector system can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The end effector system functions to facilitate picking of ingredients (e.g., foodstuffs), ingredient transformation, and/or ingredient insertion (e.g., at a target foodstuff container and/or placement location) via a grasp cavity of the utensil. Additionally or alternatively, the end effector system can function to shape a profile of ingredients (e.g., upon insertion). Additionally or alternatively, the end effector system can function to evacuate ingredients from the grasp cavity (e.g., clearing out ingredients adhering to the utensil).

In an embodiment, a method and system use various sensors to determine a shape of a collection of materials (e.g., foodstuffs). A controller can determine a trajectory which achieves the desired end-state, possibly chosen from a set of feasible, collision-free trajectories to execute, and a robot executes that trajectory. The robot, executing that trajectory, scoops, grabs, or otherwise acquires the desired amount of material from the collection of materials at a desired location. The robot then deposits the collected material in the desired receptacle at a specific location and orientation.

A compact, mobile, robotic beverage station that may be deployed in any location for use. The compact and mobile nature of the beverage station allows the automated robotic beverage station to be deployed at any suitable location both indoors and outdoors. Further, various embodiments are self-contained in that the beverage station includes on-board battery supplied power, on-board liquid disposal (e.g., a holding tank) and on-board water supply. Further, the automated robotic nature of several embodiments provides for beverage selection, preparation and serving without labor costs as the robotic automated aspects can process inputs from communicatively coupled smart phone and the like. The beverage station includes a processor for receiving the beverage order, determining ingredients, controlling robotic components that select, mix and serve the ordered beverage and then handle financial transactions.

Provided is an alimentary-product assembling and dispensing device comprising: a plurality of alimentary-ingredient dispensers positioned to dispense respective ingredients in a plurality of different locations of a robotic work environment; a robot configured to receive an open-top vessel from an open-top-vessel dispenser and move the open-top vessel to the different locations to receive different ingredients from the plurality of alimentary-ingredient dispensers, wherein the robot comprises four or fewer degrees of freedom; and a vending aperture through which consumers retrieve vended alimentary products assembled by the robot from ingredients dispensed from the plurality of alimentary-ingredient dispensers.