TECH

Barista robots will help Korean coffee shops survive the coronavirus pandemic

The new coronavirus pandemic has forced companies to accelerate the automation of many production processes, replacing people with robots. The latter will spread not only in medicine and logistics, but also in the field of catering. Korean engineers have managed to create a robot that can prepare and deliver drinks to cafes without involving a person.
Vision Semicon has developed, with the support of South Korean scientists, a robotic system that allows replacing part of the coffee team. The complex consists of a robotic manipulator that prepares up to 60 different drinks, in addition to a mobile robot that delivers ready-made drinks inside the cafe. It is enough for the visitor at the entrance to select the type of drink in the terminal with a touch interface and, in a few minutes, the robot can supply up to six drinks at a time. During the experiment, it was determined that it takes no more than seven minutes to complete an order. The beverage delivery robot uses autopilot elements and is able to determine the ideal travel route.
To serve a coffee, located on two floors, the robot complex during the experiment was adjacent to the only confectioner, who simultaneously monitored the cleaning in the salon and stored the ingredients in a timely manner. The developers of this robotic complex plan to equip them with another 30 cafes in South Korea before the end of this year. The need to increase the distance between tables in the cafe for sanitary reasons greatly facilitated the robot's maneuvers in closed environments. Favorable conditions have arisen for the implementation of such solutions, since it is not necessary for customers to contact the coffee team.

AVnews