Robots to handle kitchen chores

Our relationship with food is complex. Eating is vital for survival. Some people enjoy cooking and love the idea of spending an evening pairing different ingredients to create something delicious. Some people hate cooking and will eat out whenever possible.

Robots are revolutionizing the way we cook. High-end chefs use them to challenge their creativity, as well as working parents who love to have a warm meal at home. These cooking robots are revolutionizing the restaurant industry by creating delicious meals and taking over the kitchen. Also, the cooking robot market is expected to exhibit a strong growth rate of 15% during the forecast period of 2019-2028.

Cooking robots are capable of operating within certain parameters, such as temperature, cooking time, and mixing. It can also operate without the need for humans to rest or take breaks. Robotic technology can be programmed to perform the exact same function hour after hour. Robots might be more advantageous in certain manufacturing processes, as humans tend to introduce variability which can lead to inefficiencies in manufacturing.

How robotics is solving some of the biggest problems in the food industry

Robotic makers are often portrayed as making bland, tasteless food. However, automated manufacturing is still in use. Many people still view robots as useless in the kitchen. Moley Robotics, a British Company, says "Not so". It has developed a fully-robotic kitchen that will be available for sale by 2017. The company intends to place robotic chefs in the kitchens of other companies to collaborate in creating delicious meals. Two robotic hands will operate in the same way as a human's hands when preparing food for robots. Robots can prepare large quantities of food by mixing, cutting, assembling, and cooking it. These robots can be operated remotely using a smartphone or touchscreen.

Although robot chefs are being developed, they will not be widely available until there are some practical problems addressed. Even for those who have the budget, robots are not currently possible to integrate into most kitchens. The cost of robotics will likely be high.

Robotic technology is used in industrial food production quite often. Robotic technology can be used to perform tasks such as sorting, picking up, placing, picking and placing, packaging, palletizing and loading/unloading. Robotics is used in the production of delicate foodstuffs and frozen food. It's labor-intensive or impossible to do with human workers.

Robot Development Taps into Current Consumer Trends

Robot development is a profitable business model. However, some companies are entering the service industry and tapping into the food delivery trends.

Suvie is an example. This robot is designed for busy people who don't have the time or desire home-cooked meals. The homeowner can load the ingredients and set a timer to arrive home to a cooked meal. It's easy to source the ingredients. What makes Suvie different is that subscribers can get food subscriptions, similar to Hello Fresh or Blue Apron.

In America, meal delivery services have grown in popularity over the last few years. According to Richard Kestenbaum, Forbes the traffic to subscription box websites have increased by more than 800% since 2014. Blue Apron is the leader in monthly visits (topping Dollar Shave Club), while the food delivery industry ranks second with 33% of the total subscription box market share.

Suvie has created a business model that allows customers to not only buy one robot but also to subscribe to meal plans.

Robot Technology allows companies to adjust costs

Spyce Robotics and Miso Robotics weren't the only developers to think about reducing labor costs in order to spend more on high quality food products. Christopher McFadden, an author for Interesting Engineering speculates that robots can help to reduce liability and increase safety. Companies would rather hire a few maintenance engineers than a whole team of cooks.

McFadden suggests that restaurant workers who demand higher wages might actually be able to make their jobs redundant.

McFadden also mentions another point that Spyce founders emphasize: robot labor frees up money to invest in their products. Charisse Jones, USA Today reporter at McDonald's, says that McDonald's is trying to make their products more appealing with fresher ingredients.

McDonald's has been unable to attract customers who want better-quality food, resulting in "hundreds upon millions" of customer visits. McDonald's has been working to make its burgers fresh and not frozen. They also have plans to eliminate preservatives in its chicken. These changes can be costly for McDonald's and any other brand looking to improve its ingredients. Companies might consider robots to reduce long-term costs.