April 21, 2015Automated kitchen features robot chef

Moley Robotics' Automated Kitchen

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It may sound like the stuff of futuristic science fiction, but a high-tech kitchen featuring a robot is set to become a commercial reality. The Automated Kitchen was recently unveiled to the public at Hanover Messe in Germany, a leading industrial products trade show. Created by UK-based Moley Robotics, the company claims the robot – the key component of the ensemble – can cook like a seasoned chef.

The prototype system shown in Hanover was developed over two years as a collaboration between Sebastian Conran, who designed the cooking utensils, and Mauro Izzo, Dysegno and the Yachtline company, which created the futuristic kitchen furniture.

The actual robot itself was designed by the Shadow Robot Company, which makes products for the nuclear industry and NASA. It consists of a set of fully articulated hands that are the kitchen's centerpiece and the culmination of almost two decades of R and D. Shadow Robot claims it can reproduce the movements of a human hand as it uses 20 motors, 24 joints and 129 sensors, although it is not so clear how it will locate ingredients as neatly as it does in the animation video at the bottom of the page.

Moley Robotics claims the system does not cook like a machine, as it reproduces human movements. To do that, the company utilized the services of a real, flesh-and-bone chef to teach the prototype robot extra dexterity – and chutzpah.

Tim Anderson, winner of the BBC Master Chef competition, developed a crab bisque dish to test the system’s capabilities. He was then put in a studio so he could be recorded in 3D while cooking the dish. Every detail and action was then translated into digital movement using bespoke algorithms created by Moley and Shadow teams, as well as Stanford University (US) and SSSUP Pisa (Italy).

This way, the robot actually behaves like a machine version of the celebrity chef, even emulating the OK gesture he makes to sign off his work.

"To be honest, I didn’t think this was possible," said Anderson. "I chose crab bisque as a dish because it’s a real challenge for human chef to make well, never mind a machine. Having seen – and tasted – the results for myself, I am stunned. This is the beginning of something really significant: a whole new opportunity for producing good food and for people to explore the world’s cuisines. It’s very exciting."

But don’t get too excited just yet, as a consumer version is at least two years away. In the meantime you may want to check out this other robotic kitchen to see what the future holds for foodies with a passion for technology.

Moley Robotics is now working on scaling down the automated kitchen for the consumer market and kitchens of an average size. They predict the retail versions will be more compact, with smaller control arms and more functionality, including a small built-in refrigerator and a dishwasher to complement a professional-grade hob and oven.

The company is reaching out to a range of possible collaborators such as designers, homebuilders, kitchen installers and food suppliers to bring the system to the mass market.

When it launches in 2017, it will be supported by a digital library of over 2,000 dishes. Moley envisages that celebrity chefs will embrace 3D cooking downloads to add extra value to the cookbook market. Anyone will be able to upload their favorite recipes to the digital library and collaborate to what is being called the "iTunes for food".

Some readers may wonder whether a robot could actually take the fun away from cooking, since for many people preparing food is a great way to relax and be creative. Moley says that the idea is not to just save labor. Rather, he claims that it is a technology that can help users explore different cuisines and even even become better cooks.

Source: Moley Robotics

具有自动化厨房功能的机器人大厨

4月21日，2015Automated厨房设有机器人chef

莫利机器人“自动厨房

图片廊（3图像）

这听起来像未来主义科幻的东西，而是一种高科技的厨房，配备了机器人设定成为一个商业现实。自动化厨房最近向公众推出汉诺威展览在德国，一个领先的工业产品贸易展。创建于英国的莫利机器人，该公司声称机器人 - 合奏的重要组成部分 - 可以做饭像一个经验丰富的厨师

汉诺威所示的原型系统的开发两年多的塞巴斯蒂安·康伦，谁设计之间的合作炊具和毛罗·伊佐，Dysegno和Yachtline公司，创造了未来的厨房家具。

实际的机器人本身的影子机器人公司，这使得产品的核工业和航天局设计。它由一组的充分阐明手是厨房的核心和近二十年的R的高潮和D.阴影机器人声称，它可以再现人手的动作，因为它使用20马达，24节和129的传感器，虽然它不是那么清楚将如何在页面的底部找到成分的整齐，因为它在动画视频。

莫利机器人声称该系统不做饭像一台机器，因为它再现了人类的运动。为了做到这一点，该公司利用一个真正的，肉和骨头厨师的服务，教机器人原型额外的灵活性 - 而放肆

蒂姆·安德森的BBC大厨比赛的冠军，制定了螃蟹浓汤盘测试该系统的效能。然后，他被放在一个工作室，这样他可以一边煮的菜被记录在3D。每一个细节和动作，然后翻译成利用莫利和暗影队，以及斯坦福大学（美国）和SSSUP比萨（意大利）.

创建定制算法，数字移动

这样，机器人实际上表现的一台机器的版本名厨，甚至模仿了OK的手势，??他让签了他的工作。

“说实话，我不认为这是可能的，”安德森说。 。“我选择螃蟹浓汤的菜，因为它是一个真正的挑战，人类厨师做不好，更别说机器在看到 - 而尝到 - 的结果我自己，我愣这是一些真正显著的开始：一个生产良好的食物和为人们探索世界的美食全新的机遇。这是非常令人兴奋的。“

但是不要高兴得太早了，只是还没有，作为消费者的版本至少是两年以后。在此期间，你可能想看看这个其他的机器人厨房，看到了未来的美食家会是什么样与技术的热情。

莫利机器人目前正在缩减自动化厨房的平均规模的消费市场和厨房。他们预测的零售版将更加紧凑，具有较小的控制臂和更多的功能，包括一个小的内置冰箱和洗碗机，以配合专业级的炉灶和烤箱。

该公司正在向一系列可能的合作者如设计师，建筑商，厨房安装人员和食品供应商将系统推向大众市场。

当它在2017年推出，将通过数字超过2000菜肴库支持。莫利设想名厨将迎来3D做饭下载额外的价值添加到菜谱市场。任何人都可以把自己喜欢的食谱上传到数字图书馆和合作，什么是被称为“iTunes的换食品”.

有的读者可能会问，一个机器人是否能采取实际的乐趣远离做饭，因为对许多人准备食物是一个伟大的方式来放松和创造性。莫利说，这个想法是不是只是节省人工。相反，他声称，它是一种技术，可以帮助用户探索不同的菜肴，甚至甚至成为更好的厨师

来源：莫利机器人