On the way to an intelligent canteen

Changing market requirements are also reflected in the expectations for canteens. The Reutlingen-based company Rieber is testing the possibilities offered by robotic solutions in an automated kiosk. A mobile APAS assistant from Bosch Rexroth is being used to automate standardized kitchen processes and drive intelligent digitization in the catering segment.

Extended combination options, individual quantities and a supply that goes beyond the classic “lunch break window”: Canteens often lack the necessary personnel. Rieber is filling this gap with the APAS assistant mobile. The robot demonstrates its capabilities in a model experiment, the automated kiosk, where the system automates previously standardized tasks (e.g. brewing coffee) or processes that force human employees into bad posture (e.g. providing crockery). This optimization has a positive effect on canteens’ availability times and utilization rates. The Rieber kiosk proves that APAS robots relieve the employees’ workload and create synergies that can, for example, be used for a larger range of products.

APAS enables intelligent data comparison

The advantage in this is that the APAS assistant mobile, which can be installed using quick-release screws, is a highly flexible system that can be used anywhere in the kitchen in an instant. Using bar codes, it even recognizes and documents food metadata, transforming itself into an intelligent application. Thinking into the future, the robot could, for example, automatically compare app-based orders with patient data such as food intolerances or other digital medical findings when used in hospital kitchens, thus preventing errors when filling trays. However, more complex manual tasks, such as the correct preparation of fresh produce, remain in human hands.

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