Summary:
UCLA researchers from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering have developed an automated robotic kitchen system capable of performing a wide variety of cooking tasks.
Background:
Traditional cooking robots have aided the automation of specific kitchen-related tasks, yet existing technologies suffer from several limitations. These include the use of computationally complex manipulators with multiple degrees of freedom to mimic human arm movements, which impede real-time performance. And many systems are designed to carry out a single specific task, which hinders their ability to efficiently carry out several operations in a dynamic environment. This limits their operational versatility and workspace optimization. In the current state-of-the-art, there remains an unmet need for a cost-effective and practical automated system to carry out diverse kitchen-related tasks.
Innovation:
UCLA researchers led by Professor Dennis Hong have developed an automated robotic system for performing multiple kitchen-related tasks. The system employs a dual-arm manipulation platform, a system for adding and removing appliances and tools according to a task schedule, and a sensing system for making adjustments during the cooking process, all of which are managed by a control system. This technology can revolutionize automated systems for kitchen-related tasks by providing versatile and precise robotic movements for the preparation of almost any dish. Additionally, the applications of this novel robotic system can be extended beyond the kitchen and into a workspace where coordination between multiple robots is required.
Potential Applications:
• Meal preparation automation
• Multitasking in kitchens
• Smart home cooking
• Large-scale meal preparation services
Advantages:
• Capable of performing almost any food preparation task
• Cost efficient
• Enhanced precision
• Increased workspace
• Simplified control
• Computationally efficient
Development-To-Date:
The first demonstration of the invention is complete (09/06/2023): RoMeLa: Cooking Robot, Project YORI.
Relevant Publications:
Noh, Donghun, et al., “Minimal Degree of Freedom Dual-Arm Manipulation Platform with Coupling Body Joint for Diverse Cooking Tasks”, 2020 17th International Conference Ubiquitous Robotics (UR), IEEE (2020).
Yi, June-sup et al., “Task Planning with Mixed-Integer Programming for Multiple Cooking Task Using dualarm Robot”,2 020 17th International Conference Ubiquitous Robotics (UR), IEEE (2020).
Reference:
UCLA Case No. 2024-110
Lead Inventor:
Dennis Hong