A modular robotic kitchen system is conveniently adaptable to perform a wide range of cooking applications. The modular robotic kitchen system can include a plurality of discrete modular units organized in a small footprint such that multiple types of cooking applications can be performed without a need to replace the modular units. Exemplary modular units include an ingredient module, robotic arm module, assembly and packaging module, and warming module. Optionally a transport unit or sled moves the modules into position. The modular kitchen system includes a central processor operable to carry out different cooking applications upon downloading software corresponding to the specific cooking application and without retooling the existing modules. Related methods are also described.

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.

An automated food production work cell includes a robotic system that utilizes a food-grade robotic gripper to transfer individual food items. The robotic gripper is constructed using food-grade materials and includes finger structures that are linearly movably connected by linear bearings to parallel guide rods and are independently driven by a non-contact actuating system to grasp targeted food items disposed on a first work surface, to hold the targeted food items while the robotic system moves the gripper to a second work surface, and to release the targeted food items onto the second work surface. Encoding and external sensing systems facilitate fully automated food transfer processes. Optional sensor arrays are disposed on tip portions of the finger structures to provide feedback data (e.g., grasping force/pressure). Two or more pairs of independently controlled finger structures are provided to facilitate the transfer of multiple food items during each transfer process.

A support assembly is provided. The support assembly includes: a lower frame configured to be mountable on one surface of a moving object; a guide frame configured such that one end is coupled to an upper surface of the lower frame, and at least a part of another end is curved toward where the lower frame is located; a connection frame configured such that one side includes a plurality of rollers spaced apart at a predetermined interval, and the plurality of rollers slide along the curved part of the guide frame; and an upper frame coupled to another side of the connection frame and configured to move in response to the plurality of rollers sliding along the curved part of the guide frame.

In an embodiment, a method includes determining a given material to manipulate to achieve a goal state. The goal state can be one or more deformable or granular materials in a particular arrangement. The method further includes, for the given material, determining, a respective outcome for each of a plurality of candidate actions to manipulate the given material. The determining can be performed with a physics-based model, in one embodiment. The method further can include determining a given action of the candidate actions, where the outcome of the given action reaching the goal state is within at least one tolerance. The method further includes, based on a selected action of the given actions, generating a first motion plan for the selected action.

A method of automatically orienting symmetric and asymmetric food items, such as apples for example, is provided. Individual items of food are manipulated by a programmable manipulator within the view of one or more depth imaging cameras. Digital three dimensional characterizations of the surface of the food items are generated by the depth imaging camera or cameras and are utilized by a computer connected to the depth imaging camera or cameras to locate the stem and blossom of each food item. Asymmetric food items, such as apples with dropped shoulders as well as symmetric food items can be properly oriented and processed automatically.

An arrangement for automatically removing a strip of dark meat from a fish fillet has a conveying unit for transporting the fish fillet from an inlet to an outlet area in a transport direction along a transport path. Starting from the inlet area, successively along the transport path, are provided: a detector for detecting dark meat; a first cutting apparatus for removing a middle partial strip of dark meat; an opener for opening up the fillet such that the cut surfaces of a ventral-side partial and of a dorsal-side partial strip of dark meat point upwards; a cutting unit for removing the partial strips, the cutting unit comprising second and third cutting apparatuses for removing the ventral and dorsal-side partial strips. A control device is connected to the detector and the cutting apparatus, and all cuts are based on information from the detector.

An affordance is disclosed which allows a robot system to pick an expanded range of items using a single type of end effector, without requiring the use of different end effectors. The affordance includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer is arranged to be grasped by an end effector of the robot system and the second layer is arranged to adhere to the item. A system having an affordance and a robot system with an end effector arranged to grasp at least one item from storage by way of the affordance is also disclosed.

A robot cell including a structure delimiting a cell with a closed section, typically polygonal, in particular rectangular, with metallic corner posts, extending vertically to the edges of the cell, the corner posts being preferably equipped at the lower ends of the posts with underframes intended to bear on the ground, metallic upper crossbars linking, in pairs, the upper ends of the posts over a periphery of the section cell, a central support formed by the assembly of metallic elements, extending over the cell between the upper crossbars resting locally at fastening supports on the upper crossbars, at intermediate areas of the upper crossbars, and a parallel-kinematics robot, housed within the volume of the cell.

A device for automatically hand-swaying beverage cups is disclosed, comprising a robotic arm and a cover, wherein the robotic arm has a plurality of movable arms and a plurality of joints that pivotally connect each of the movable arms to each other, and at the extreme end of such movable arms there install a pair of symmetrical clamping components and a clamping controller, and also includes a host computer electrically connected to each of the movable arms, each of the joints and the clamping controller, respectively; in addition, the cover respectively has a conical surface on the outside, an inner hole is openly configured on the bottom surface of the cover, and each of the clamping components can collectively clamp the cover and the cup thus facilitating the hand-swaying operations of the cup with the robotic arm.