Deep frying is a common cooking method often used by restaurants and fast food chains as a quick and inexpensive way to prepare foods. Some aspects of these operations may be relatively messy and/or dangerous due to spills, splashes, etc. of a cooking medium such as oil, and as such there is a continuing desire to automate or simplify various aspects of deep frying methods or systems.
For example, during the process of frying foods such as french fries, chicken, onion rings, etc., kitchen personnel will remove the fryer baskets from the frying medium with the consumable items inside of the basket, to shake the foods before reloading the basket into the frying medium. This process of shaking the basket during the frying process ensures an even, thorough frying of the food and also shakes off excess oil.
Additionally, automated devices operating within a cooking environment may move with respect to multiple axes to accomplish a variety of culinary tasks (e.g., flipping burgers, frying tater tots, filling drinks, plating meals, etc.). When frying foods, an automated food processing system may be implemented that, using an automated device (e.g., a robotic arm), moves downward in a food processing area (e.g., the oil contents of a fryer) to grip an attachment extension (e.g., a handle) extending from a first side of a basket, moves upward to lift the basket out of the food processing area, and moves forward to latch one or more attachment hooks, connected to a second side of the basket, to a hanger to allow the food processing container to rest above the food processing area. It will be understood that under normal conditions the automated device latches the one or more attachment hooks of the basket on a hanger of a food processing device (e.g., a deep fryer), where the one or more attachment hooks and the hanger are co-planar with respect to each other. In some examples, due to manufacturing tolerance and/or attrition from frying operation, the attachment extension (e.g., the handle) may experience twist (e.g., a misconfiguration that may include bend, tilt, etc.) relative to the attachment hook(s). This twist may result in a rotation of the one or more attachment hooks' x-z plane about its y-axis, obstructing the hanger plane (e.g., no longer making them co-planar) and, consequently, misaligning the attachment/basket hooks or preventing the automated device from latching the one or more basket hooks onto the hanger of the food processing device. Accordingly, the automated device may drop the food processing container into the food processing area, which halts the automated frying process. Twist of the attachment extension (e.g., the handle) may make basket placement difficult or unreliable. Alternate procedures (e.g., a camera vision system) exist to circumvent orientation issues (e.g., by locating fiducial marker(s) on baskets to perform spatial distance measuring in free space) generated by twist of the attachment extension but are very expensive and commonly require customized add-ons to food processing containers.
There is a continued desire to automate the above and other aspects of food preparation, such as for deep frying or other cooking or food processing devices.
In at least some example illustrations, a food processing apparatus is provided, comprising a basket retainer configured to support a basket of consumable items above a food processing device. The food processing apparatus may also include a reciprocating agitator configured to impart a repetitive contact to the basket, thereby inducing motion of the consumable items within the basket.
In at least some examples, the agitator includes one of a rotary motor, a linear actuator, a vibrator, or a pneumatic cylinder.
In at least some example illustrations, the agitator comprises a rotary output and a linkage pivotally secured at an end thereof to the rotary output. The linkage may induce the reciprocal motion of the basket retainer via rotation of the rotary output.
In at least some examples, the reciprocal motion is along a first direction, and the agitator is configured to induce an additional motion in the basket retainer in a second direction, with the second direction being normal to the first direction.
In at least some example illustrations, the reciprocal motion is vertically oriented with respect to the basket retainer.
In at least some example approaches, the reciprocal motion is horizontally oriented with respect to the basket retainer.
In at least some examples, the basket retainer is configured to retain one of an edge of the basket or a basket handle.
In at least some example illustrations, the basket retainer includes one of a hook, a lip, a holding surface, or a support surface.
In at least some examples, the agitator comprises a pneumatic cylinder configured to impart repetitive contact to a handle of the basket.
In at least some example illustrations, the reciprocal motion is vertically oriented with respect to the basket retainer.
In at least some example approaches, the reciprocating agitator reciprocates at a frequency of up to six times per second, or 0-6 Hz.
In at least some example approaches, the reciprocating agitator is configured such that the repetitive contact is interspersed with a lack of contact between the reciprocating agitator and the basket.
In at least some example illustrations, the food processing device is a fryer.
In at least some example approaches, the basket retainer comprises a guide having a base configured to be positioned adjacent a basket mounting position on the food processing apparatus. The basket guide may narrow from the base to an uppermost portion. Opposing guide surfaces of the basket guide may extend from the uppermost portion toward the base and are configured to horizontally align a basket holder with respect to the basket mounting position as the basket holder descends toward the basket mounting position.
In at least some examples, the apparatus further includes a manipulator, comprising a first extension defining a first handle opening configured to receive a handle of the basket, and a second extension defining a second handle opening configured to receive the handle. The manipulator may also include a gripper assembly configured to enclose the handle within the first handle opening and the second handle opening. The manipulator may also include a sensor configured to determine a proximity of the handle to the second handle opening. In at least a subset of these examples, the sensor comprises at least one of a beam receiver, an imaging sensor, a position sensor, a pressure sensor, a proximity sensor, a motion sensor.
In at least some example illustrations, an automated food processing system is provided, comprising a basket having an attachment extension extending from a first side of the basket, and one or more attachment hooks located at a second side of the basket. The system may further include a robotic arm including a gripping mechanism configured to grip the attachment extension. While the attachment extension is gripped, the robotic arm is configured to move the basket with respect to a food processing device. The food processing device may include a food processing area and a basket retainer above the food processing area. The food processing device may also include a basket guide adjacent the basket retainer. The basket guide may narrow from a base adjacent a basket mounting position on the basket retainer to an uppermost portion. Further, opposing guide surfaces of the basket guide may extend from the uppermost portion toward the base and may be configured to horizontally align the one or more attachment hooks with respect to the basket mounting position as the robotic arm causes the food processing container to descend toward the basket mounting position.
In at least some example illustrations of an automated food processing system, the food processing device includes an agitator configured to induce a reciprocal motion of the basket retainer, thereby inducing motion of the basket.
In at least some examples, the one or more attachment hooks are disposed at an end of the basket opposite the attachment extension, wherein the one or more attachment hooks define a horizontal opening delimited at opposing sides corresponding to the opposing guide surfaces. In at least a subset of these examples, the horizontal opening is substantially equal to a width of the base.
In at least some example approaches, the automated food processing system further comprises a manipulator. The manipulator may include a first extension and a second extension, each having respective handle openings configured to receive a handle of the basket. The manipulator may also include a gripper assembly configured to enclose the handle within the first handle opening and the second handle opening and a sensor configured to determine a proximity of the handle to the second handle opening.
The above and other features of the present disclosure, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Robotic automated food preparation systems have been developed for automating various kitchen operations of a restaurant. For example, each of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/494,664 (filed on Oct. 5, 2021) and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/088,162 (filed on Oct. 6, 2020) disclose examples of robotic automated food preparation systems that may be used to fry consumable items such as french fries, onion rings, chicken, etc., and the contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Various aspects of these example robotic automated food preparation systems may be further automated, as described in further detail below. More specifically, in some example approaches, an agitator is provided for shaking or agitating a plurality of consumable or food items, e.g., to encourage even distribution and/or breaking individual items apart within a basket, shake off excess cooking medium, etc. The agitator may reciprocate, thereby imparting a repetitive contact to a basket of consumable items.
In other examples, guidance of a robot performing tasks such as moving a basket of consumable or food items may be enhanced using one or more mechanical guides. More specifically, a guide may be employed which catches, engages, or otherwise contacts a corresponding feature of a basket for the consumable/food items. In another example, one or more sensors may be provided to provide an indication that a robot gripper is within a proximity of a basket and/or handle thereof.
Turning now to
Generally, the system 100 includes a back-of-house operation or kitchen for a restaurant, which employs a cooking apparatus 101 and a robotic arm 102. The system 100 may be integrated into any restaurant or kitchen operation. In some example approaches, the system 100 is integrated into a back-of-house operation of a restaurant, examples of which are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/780,797 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/819,326, and the contents of each of these applications are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entireties.
In the example shown in
The cooking apparatus 101 includes a plurality of processing devices for producing food, and in the example illustrated these processing devices include the refrigerated ingredient storages 104a and 104b (collectively, 104), cooking devices 106a and 106b (collectively, 106), and food ingredient finishing areas 108a, 108b (collectively, 108). These processing devices generally represent distinct locations in a process of producing, in this example, fried foods. The robot arm 102 may be used to move or manipulate food ingredients to and from the processing devices of the cooking apparatus 101 to produce cooked food(s) for serving. While the examples that follow illustrate the robot arm 102 in the context of system 100 and cooking apparatus 101, numerous other example approaches will be apparent upon consideration of the present disclosure. Accordingly, implementation of other example systems 100, cooking apparatuses 101, or robot arms 102 are not limited to the production of fried foods.
The cooking devices 106 are described herein as deep fat fryers, i.e., employing a volume of cooking medium, e.g., vegetable oil, peanut oil, or the like, which is heated to cook food ingredients. Food ingredients such as cut potatoes, battered onion rings, or the like, may be kept in refrigerated ingredient storage 104 and delivered to the fryers 106 and/or finishing areas 108 by robot arm 102. Upon completion of cooking the food ingredients, the robot arm 102 may move the food ingredients from the fryers 106 to the finishing areas 108. In the finishing areas 108, the cooked ingredients may be seasoned or otherwise finished. The finishing areas 108 may also have heating elements, lamps, or the like to keep the cooked food warm to allow serving on demand. Personnel in the kitchen operation 100 may collect the cooked food, e.g., in serving containers.
The robot arm 102 may be any robot capable of moving and manipulating food ingredients amongst the processing devices, i.e., the ingredient storage 104, cooking devices 106, and/or finishing areas 108. In the illustrated example seen in
Referring now to
While the robot arm 102 is movable via the rail 126 as noted above, it is desirable to fix a relative position of the rail 126 of the robot arm 102 relative to processing devices in the cooking apparatus 101, e.g., processing devices 104, 106, and/or 108, while the robot arm 102 is operating. In this manner, movements of the robot arm 102 may be controlled to facilitate accurate grasping, manipulation, and delivery of food ingredients within a cooking apparatus. The robot arm 102 may move amongst the processing devices 104, 106, and/or 108 according to a controller, as will be detailed further below. Additionally, it is desirable to allow the robot arm 102 to be moveable with respect to the processing devices 104, 106, and/or 108 to allow cleaning or maintenance of the robot arm 102 and/or the processing devices.
As noted above, in some examples it may be desirable to agitate or shake food or consumable items, e.g., before, during, or after being fried in one of the cooking devices 106. Turning now to
Referring now to
As illustrated in
The agitator 306 may generally be configured to induce a reciprocal motion of the basket retainer 302, and thereby coming into repetitive contact with the basket 304 and/or the basket retainer 302. The reciprocating motion of the agitator 306 may thereby agitate consumable items 308 within the basket 304 while the basket 304 is held by the basket retainer 302. For example, the consumable items 308, to any extent they may become stuck together (e.g., as a result of freezing, thawing, cooking, etc.), may impact other consumable items 308 and/or interior walls of the basket 304 as a result of the shaking of the basket 304 caused by the agitator 306, thereby breaking apart the consumable items 308 into smaller and/or individual pieces of the consumable items 308. Example agitator(s) 306 may include a rotary motor, a linear actuator, and/or a vibrator. In the example illustrated in
Turning now to
In the component system 500, agitator 306′ is provided, which is positioned adjacent the basket 304 at a same end of the basket 304 as the handle 314. The agitator 306′ is configured to be extended generally vertically, such that a contact surface 330 of the agitator contacts the handle 314, forcing the basket 304 upwards. The contact surface 330 may extend vertically any distance that is convenient. As illustrated, in an example the contact surface 330 extends from an initial height H1 (see
In an example, the agitator 306′ comprises one or more pneumatic cylinders 334 extending from the base 332, which is mounted to the food processing device 106 adjacent the vat 110. As the pneumatic cylinders are extended from the base 332, e.g., due to increase/decrease of pneumatic pressure, the contact surface 330 is brought into repetitive contact with the handle 314 and/or basket 304, thereby imparting a shaking or otherwise repetitive motion of the basket 304 relatively quickly. Accordingly, consumable items 308 within the basket 304 are generally caused to break apart into smaller and/or individual pieces as a result of collisions with other consumable items 308 and/or interior walls of the basket 304. Additionally, the reciprocating agitator 306′ may impact the handle 314 or other part of the basket 304 with sufficient force that the handle 314 (or, for that matter, any other part of the basket 304 being repetitively contacted) is forced away or “bounced” off of the contact surface 330 repeatedly. As a result, the agitator 306′ causes the repetitive contact to be interspersed with a lack of contact between the reciprocating agitator 306′ and the basket 304.
As noted above, the pneumatic cylinder(s) 334 generally extend and lower in a vertical direction with respect to the food processing device 106. As such, the reciprocal motion is vertically oriented with respect to the basket retainer 302.
The agitator 306′ may operate with any frequency, force, etc. that is convenient to impart a desired shaking or reciprocating movement to the basket 304. In an example, the reciprocating agitator 306′ in the illustrated example of
As noted above, in some example approaches the food processing apparatus may be included in an automated food preparation system. The automated food preparation system may comprise a robot, robotic arm 102, conveyors, or any other automated movement mechanisms configured to move consumable items 308, e.g., from an ingredient storage to a cooking device 106, and from the cooking device(s) 106 to a finishing device. Accordingly, robot arm 102 may be used to position a basket 304 of consumable items 308 on the basket retainer 302 positioned atop a cooking device 106a/106b. The robotic arm 102 may also remove the basket 304 from the basket retainer 302, and/or transport the fried consumable items 308 into a finishing device after shaking initiated by the agitator 306 and/or 306′ and basket retainer 302, e.g., as described above.
The basket retainer 302, in the examples illustrated above, may be positioned above a food processing device 106, e.g., a fryer, such that the agitator is configured to drop excess frying medium back into the vat 110.
As noted above, a basket guide 312 may be provided to enhance the degree to which a robot, e.g., robot arm 102, may place a basket 304 securely and safely throughout a life cycle of the involved components. Referring now to
Generally, variations in the basket 304 or other food processing containers may occur, e.g., due to manufacturing tolerances or wear of components due to the extreme nature of the deep frying cooking environments. Further, different basket 304 may deflect or wear in different ways, or may be of different ages, causing positional variations from basket to basket. The automated device (e.g., the robotic arm) may be trained with one food processing container or basket using a blind pick and place protocol. Generally, this training process depends on the food processing container being in the exact, same position or substantially so in order to execute maneuvers to fry contents of the basket. In some embodiments, the order of the food processing containers may be changed, in which case the automated device may have difficulty adapting to the respective orientations of the other food processing containers/baskets, and as a result may be prone to dropping the new food processing container it blindly picks. Additionally, twist in handle 314 or other attachment extension of the basket 304 may result in the food processing container dipping towards the food processing area, e.g., into the vat 110. Manufacturer variance of baskets 304 or other food processing containers, and/or the hangers 310, may also affect the height of the handle 314. Automated devices such as robot 102 may not be able to compensate for the variation in height of the handle 314 and may tend to “miss” gripping the handle 314 when attempting to pick up the basket 304. In some embodiments, the basket 304 may be horizontally askew (e.g., along the x-axis) on the hanger of the food processing device 106, which may contribute to an inability of the automated device such as robot arm 102 to securely grip the basket 304 and/or handle 314.
Additionally, repeatability in height of handle 314 or other attachment extension may generally be difficult to achieve, which makes it challenging for the automated device (e.g., the robotic arm 102) to securely grip handle 314 and/or basket 304 when the order of the food processing containers 304 within the food processing device is switched. In some embodiments, manufacturing tolerance along with normal frying operation of the food processing containers may contribute to the height inconsistencies with each handle 314.
Positional variations and/or twist may be caused between the handle 314 or other attachment extension relative to the basket 304. Additionally, rotation of the one or more attachment hooks' 310 x-z plane about its y-axis obstructs the plane of the hangers 310, no longer making them co-planar, as a result of the attachment extension (e.g., the handle 314) experiencing twist. The twist may occur as a result of use of the basket 304 and handle 314 over time, attrition from the fry cooking process, and/or manufacturer variance. This misalignment can interfere with the automated device (e.g., the robotic arm 102) executing a relative movement of placing the basket's attachment hooks 310 upon the basket retainer 302 to allow the basket 304 to rest. In some cases this can result in the basket's hooks 310 hitting the top of the basket retainer 302 and/or the basket 304 not being securely mounted to the basket retainer 302 or other hanger. In an extreme case, the basket 304 may become dislodged from the basket retainer 302 and fall into the food processing area below the basket retainer 302, e.g., into the vat 110.
Accordingly, as illustrated in
The basket guide 312 may have any configuration that is convenient. The basket guide 312 depicted in
Generally, an automated device (e.g., the robotic arm 102) may initially place the basket/attachment hooks 310 such that the vertex 600 or point of the basket guide 312 resides within the x-z plane 606 (see
As noted above, in at least some example approaches automated food preparation may be assisted at least in part by a robotic arm 102, e.g., for handling and/or movement of basket 304. Referring now to
As noted above, basket 304 may have dimensional tolerances associated with various features. For example, hooks 310 may extend from a front surface of the basket 304, e.g., for gripping a tab or lip of cooking device 106 so that basket 304 can hang while the contents such as consumable items 308 are fried. The hanging of the basket 304 may allow a cooking medium, e.g., fryer oil, to drip off back into the vat 110 and the fried contents to cool. Additionally, the handle 314 or other extension extending away from the basket 304, as noted above, may be arranged at a height to enable the basket 304 to submerge contents below a surface of oil (or any other suitable cooking medium) in vat 110. The handle 314 typically protrudes out of the vat 110 and/or cooking medium therein so it may be accessible, e.g., for picking up and moving the fryer basket 304.
The robotic arm 102 may be employed to grab the fryer basket handle 314 and move the fryer basket as part of an automated or robotic fried food preparation method or system 100, as discussed above. Reliance on a height of the fryer basket handle 314 relative to a fryer feature, such as an edge of vat 110, can change a location of the handle 314 relative to the basket 304 and may thereby prevent consistent grabbing of the fryer handle 314. This may cause inadequate grip of the handle 314, potentially leading to the fryer basket's contents, e.g., consumable items 308, being spilled or overcooking of the contents. For example, relying upon contact of a robotic arm 102 or end effector thereof with handle 314, e.g., by detecting contact with a pressure sensor or the like, may yield inconsistent fryer basket handling because of variation between fryer basket assemblies. For example, as also noted above, variations in mounting hooks 310 and/or orientation of the handle 314 with respect to the basket 304 may cause the handle 314 to be positioned at different heights or locations. Accordingly, pressure sensors or the like may receive inconsistent force or load readings when force is applied downwards to grip the handle 314.
Accordingly, examples herein such as the component system 800 illustrated in
In the examples illustrated in
In the example illustrated in
As noted above, in some examples, components of the fryer basket manipulator 806 may be formed of aluminum, e.g., the first extension 808, the second extension 812, and/or the gripper assembly 816. In some other embodiments, the first extension 808, the second extension 812, and the gripper assembly 816 are each formed of a food safe plastic. As illustrated in
The gripper assembly 816 may have any components for grasping or gripping handle 314. As illustrated, the gripper assembly 816 generally employs pivotal arms or paddles configured to selectively hold handle 314 against a support surface. More specifically, gripper assembly 816 may generally have a first paddle or arm 824 pivotally connected at a proximal end 826 of the first arm 824, such that a distal end 828 of the first arm 824 is movable toward a centerline 830 of the manipulator 806. The gripper assembly 816 may also include a second paddle or arm 832 pivotally connected to the gripper assembly at a proximal end 834 of the second arm 832, such that a distal end 836 of the second arm is movable toward the centerline 830. The gripper assembly 816 may also include at least one actuator 838 configured to move or pivot at least one of the first arm 824 or the second arm 832. For example, the actuator may rotate the arms 824, 832 about their respective pivot points at ends 826 and 834, or the actuator 838 may fold the arms 824, 832 towards the centerline 830 of at least one of the fryer basket grabbing apparatus and handle 314. The arms 824, 832 may pivot to enclose the handle 314 against a support surface or base 840a of the first extension 808 and base 840b of the second extension 812. With the handle 314 enclosed and trapped against the bases 840a and 840b, the basket 304 is securely held by the manipulator 806, and the basket 304 may be moved, e.g., to place the basket 304 in a fryer or other cooking device 106, remove the basket 304 from a frying medium, remove the basket 304 from the cooking device 106, etc.
In some examples, the first extension 808 includes a first pair of arms 809a, 809b that define a first outline 811 corresponding to the first handle opening 810. Additionally, the second extension 812 may include a second pair of arms 813a, 813b that define a second outline 815 corresponding to the second handle opening 814.
The beam emitter 804 may be configured to emit a laser beam or a beam of light, or otherwise excite a medium arranged between the beam emitter 804 and the sensor 802. The sensor 802 may be configured to transmit an indication that the beam 803 being transmitted by the beam emitter 804 has been interrupted, e.g., indicating that the handle 314 is in proximity to the first handle opening 810 and/or the second handle opening 814, as indicated by at least a portion of the handle 314 being positioned between the arms 813a, 813b such that the beam 803 is interrupted. The sensor 802 and/or beam emitter 804 may be positioned on the gripper assembly 816 such that an interruption of the beam 803 occurs when the handle 314 is within a range of the second handle opening 814 small enough that the arms 824, 832 may capture the handle 314 securely as the arms 824, 832 pivoted to a closed position. Accordingly, the gripper assembly may be configured to enclose the basket handle 314 or other extension bringing the handle 314 against the base 840a and 840b in response to the beam of the beam emitter being interrupted, as illustrated in
Turning now to
Process 1000 may begin at block 1005. At block 1005, a basket 304 may be guided to a basket mounting position on a food processing device, e.g., with a robot arm 102. For example, as noted above the food processing device 106 may have a basket guide 312 having a base 604.
Proceeding to block 1010, the basket guide 312 may be received in an opening of a basket holder fixed to the basket 304. For example, as noted above a vertex or tip 600 of guide 312 may be received within an opening as defined by x-z plane 606 of the hangers 310.
Proceeding to block 1015, the basket holder may be centered or manipulated by the basket guide 312 as the basket 304 descends to the basket mounting position. In an example, a positional variation of the basket 304, handle 314, or otherwise within system 100 may be corrected by engaging one or both hooks 310 with respective guide surfaces 602 of the basket guide 312. As described above, the guide surfaces 602 may generally extend from an uppermost portion of the guide 312, e.g., vertex 600, toward the base 604. In at least some examples, the guide surfaces 602 extend continuously from the vertex 600 to the base 604. The guide 312 may generally narrow laterally in a direction from the base 604 to the vertex 600 (or put another way, may widen moving from the vertex 600 toward the base 604). Accordingly, lateral positional variations may be corrected as the guide 312 contacts the hook(s) 310, thereby nudging the basket 304 laterally as the robot arm 102 lowers the basket 304 to a mounted position, e.g., on the basket retainer 302.
Proceeding to block 1020, the basket 304 containing consumable items 308 may be positioned above the vat 110, e.g., on the basket retainer 302. Process 1000 may initiate shaking or manipulation of the basket 304 to break up consumable items, shake off excess cooking medium, etc., either before, during, or after a cooking process has been carried out with respect to the consumable items 308. For example, as noted above a reciprocal motion may be imparted to consumable items 308 and/or the basket 304, e.g., by way of repetitive contact with an agitator 306 and/or 306′. Accordingly, reciprocal motion or agitation may be applied to the consumable items 308, thereby encouraging breakup of the consumable items 308 into smaller or individual pieces, shaking off excess cooking medium, etc. Process 1000 may then proceed to block 1025.
At block 1025, the basket 304 may be removed from the cooking device 106 and/or basket retainer 302 with a robot arm 102.
As part of any block or step within process 1000 involving the robot arm 102 grasping handle 314 or other extension of the basket 304, process 1000 may detect a proximity of the handle 314 prior to grasping or contacting the handle 314. For example, as the robot arm 102 approaches handle 314, e.g., to pick up the basket 304 from the cooking device 106 after frying, a manipulator 806 may employ a sensor 802 to detect a proximity of the handle 314. Merely by way of example, the proximity may be sufficient to allow the manipulator 806 to grasp the handle 314.
For example, as described above process 10000 may generate an indication that a beam 803 from a beam emitter 804 mounted to the robot arm 102 and/or manipulator 806 is prevented from being received by sensor 802 mounted to the robot arm 102. The beam emitter 804, for example, may be configured to emit a laser beam, a beam of light, or otherwise excite a medium arranged between the beam emitter 804 and the beam sensor 802 to facilitate detection of a proximity of the handle 314 for grasping by the manipulator 806. In an example, the indication corresponds to an interruption of the reception of beam 803 generated by the beam emitter 804 by the beam sensor 802. In response to receiving the indication, processing circuitry of the robot arm 102 may actuate gripper assembly 816 to enclose the handle 314, e.g., by pivoting or rotating arms/paddles 824, 832 to bring the handle 314 against base 840a and/or 840b.
Proceeding to block 1030, the fried consumable items 308 may be delivered to a finishing station with the robot arm 102. Process 1000 may then terminate.
The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this disclosure and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein are provided for purposes of illustration and not of limitation. Thus, this disclosure is not limited to the explicitly disclosed systems, devices, apparatuses, components, and methods, and instead includes variations to and modifications thereof, which are within the spirit of the attached claims.
The systems, devices, apparatuses, components, and methods described herein may be modified or varied to optimize the systems, devices, apparatuses, components, and methods. Moreover, it will be understood that the systems, devices, apparatuses, components, and methods may have many applications such as monitoring of liquids other than water. The disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described herein, but rather should be construed according to the claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/300,445, filed on Jan. 18, 2022, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/349,873, filed on Jun. 7, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/394,154, filed on Aug. 1, 2022. The contents of each of these applications are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63300445 | Jan 2022 | US | |
63349873 | Jun 2022 | US | |
63394154 | Aug 2022 | US |