US Air Force Dining Hall Installs Robotic Arm Alfred to Serve Salads
The new dining hall worker serving bacon bits and cherry tomatoes at the Air Force base needs no hairnet or face mask. Travis Air Force Base in Northern California is the first military base to receive a "hygienic robotic arm" named Alfred for the Monarch dining hall.
According to a base statement, Alfred was developed by Boston-based startup Dexai Robotics to reduce food waste, lower the risk of microbe transmission and free up human hands for other tasks.
The base, located northeast of San Francisco, is part of an experimental concept of the US Department of Defense Logistics Agency system, the statement said, citing Major Huko Tyler, operations officer of the 60th Mission Support Squadron.
“Will Alfred deliver the planned reductions in food waste, better sanitary conditions and improved staffing levels? We are very eager to find out”
The photos show the robot filling bowls with ingredients from the salad bar in the facility's kitchen, while base leaders watch and record the event on their smartphones.
“The robotic helping hand may allow kitchen staff to focus on other tasks, such as grill cooking or filling orders for the flight kitchen. We are pulled in so many different directions that any place where we can free up time benefits us”
The contract description for government funding of small business innovation research says that, using a robotic manipulator adapted to kitchen cleanliness standards, the system is equipped with specialized machine vision and other software to recognize ingredients, pick up and scoop items using separate utensils, and portion food into containers.
Dexai's website states that each ingredient takes eight seconds and a full order takes "minutes". Robot teams can collaborate to work faster. The company says the system tracks every order, so it can warn when supplies run low or show which ingredients are most popular.
The Defense Logistics Agency awarded more than $99,000 to a 16-person firm from Massachusetts for the first phase of adapting the system to a "touchless" interface using voice and gesture input, so that staff can place orders at an automated salad bar or hot food line without using a touchscreen.
The first phase also included testing the system in a real military cafeteria. The tentative contract end date is April 26. The second phase is expected to include further research and real-world trials, while the third phase will focus on commercializing the system.
In September, the DLA (Defense Logistics Agency) awarded Dexai a two-year research contract worth about $1.6 million, which apparently is funding for the second phase.
Alfred's designers are also expected to develop plans for a robot that will handle other kitchen duties, such as managing the grill, fryers and other equipment, or preparing raw ingredients. The original contract announcement says the robot can fry, sear, stir, braise, bake, slice into rounds, cubes and strips, mix, toss and much more.
In videos on Dexai's website, Alfred is said to need 15 minutes to grill a steak, prepare a Greek salad and serve ice cream.
"Whatever DLA and the Air Force find most attractive, whether it is speed, safety or sanitation, the Dexai team can focus on that as part of developing its product," Travis Air Force Base told reporters.
It is noted that if the trial is successful, Alfred could be installed elsewhere under a proposal to place the systems in 10 different food service locations.
Alfred adapts to existing kitchens and layouts right out of the box. Installing the robot is very simple: place it on a table, plug in the power cable and press the start button. The device can easily be paused via an app. Alfred always signals when ingredients need to be added or its camera needs cleaning.
Alfred integrates with point-of-sale and IT tools, uses a camera to locate various ingredients, and independently picks up and swaps suitable utensils. Patented technology allows the robot to know how much of each ingredient has been dispensed. The share of each ingredient is recorded, making Alfred smarter and better at managing this material.
The device's motor torque is limited enough to prevent any damage. Pressing the emergency stop button halts all movement. The robot is certified by NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) as food service equipment. The outer casing is splash-resistant and easy to wipe clean. All accessories detach easily and can be washed in a dishwasher.
