Late final 12 months, we coated Fungineering’s DIY cooking robotic. It was an fascinating thought: a form of single-pot operation with actuated mechanisms to toss in components after which stir them. Nevertheless it didn’t really work very nicely and was extra amusing than the rest. It appeared just like the form of foolish video a YouTuber makes earlier than shifting on to a different mission. However to our shock, Fungineering has been laborious at work enhancing the design to kind out a lot of its points. In his latest video, he presents the brand new and improved robotic chef, contemporary out of culinary college.
The unique robotic had three distinct varieties of mechanisms: bulk ingredient dumping (for giant issues, like chopped greens), pot stirring, and spice allotting. All of these issues form of labored, however not nicely. That robotic couldn’t even get by way of a complete meal with out some help.
The brand new robotic improves upon these issues, beginning with a revised mechanism for dumping the majority components. These nonetheless sit in containers across the pot, however now these containers flip and push ahead on the identical time. The 3D-printed mechanism to do this is sort of intelligent, as a result of it solely wants a single motor to work. There are additionally pumps for water and cooking oil.
Subsequent up was allotting spices. The unique system was really fairly darn revolutionary, because it used vibrations to shake out the spices and a rotating carousel system to place the suitable spice container over a chute that led to the pot. However although it was revolutionary, it wasn’t dependable. The brand new spice dispenser options a way more reliable auger with a screw for every spice container to churn out even essentially the most cussed floor herbs. There was nonetheless a problem with a scarcity of “move,” which induced clumping. So, Fungineering included a vibration motor on this spice dispenser, too.
Besides that wasn’t fairly sufficient, both. The spices would nonetheless clump up as an alternative of pouring easily. The cumin, particularly, skilled that challenge, so Fungineering added a solenoid to faucet that container like a human chef would.
The unique stirrer labored nicely sufficient, so Fungineering didn’t make any main modifications to that. It’s a easy robotic arm that solely holds a spatula, so there isn’t a lot to go unsuitable.
Fungineering’s efforts had been, in the end, worthwhile. The robotic chef was in a position to prepare dinner a full meal with none human intervention, making it successful. However Fungineering is probably not executed fairly but, so hold a watch out for future updates.
