It’s Caleb here. So, here’s the deal: I’m brainstorming ways to help a buddy drive business to his gelato shop. We came up with the idea of a gelato serving ice cream arm. I’ve come across robot arms for soft serve, but the game plan is to serve up scoops of delicious gelato.
On top of that, I’m picturing a setup where customers can select their flavor from a tablet, which then triggers the robot arm to scoop up the right one. It would need to be capable of operating for 8 hours a day of continuous use. It would not need to travel further than about a 60"x40" section.
Given the specifics, I’ve got a couple of questions:
What robotic arms might be a good fit for this scooping action?
Given the tablet-to-robot interaction, any software or programming tips?
Have you heard of any robotic companies that might be into this sort of thing?
Given what I’m trying to achieve, does it sound smarter to modify an existing manufacturing robot arm or start from the ground up?
I would Like to be some what mobile so he could install in his different locations.
Huge thanks to everyone here. Your insights are like gold to me, and I appreciate any advice or pointers you can share.
Given the tablet-to-robot interaction, any software or programming tips?
If you want users to be able to play with it, you’re looking at a custom application. Any arms which come with user interfaces are far too complex for your needs. A custom application takes time to develop. You might try UpWork or other contracting service.
Have you heard of any robotic companies that might be into this sort of thing?
Quite a few startups are developing robots for food development and serving, but don’t have any specific names to drop.
Given what I’m trying to achieve, does it sound smarter to modify an existing manufacturing robot arm or start from the ground up?
That really depends on your skills and experience. Someone who has worked in robotics for some time might develop their own, whereas someone new to the field should absolutely consider purchasing something and adapting it.
I would Like to be some what mobile so he could install in his different locations.
Most just need a base to keep it in place and a power cord.
