Smooth surfaced flexible and stretchable skin for covering robotic arms in restaurant and food preparation applications

A method of cleaning a robotic kitchen arm, the robotic kitchen arm comprising at least one joint and a distal end adapted to couple to an end effector, the method comprising:

• providing a sleeve for covering a robotic kitchen arm, the sleeve having a passageway through which the robotic kitchen arm is enclosed, a distal opening through which the end effector extends therethrough, and an exterior surface, and wherein the passageway is sized relative to the robotic kitchen arm such that an effective diameter of the passageway is less than an outer diameter of the robotic kitchen arm;
• tautly enclosing the robotic kitchen arm with the sleeve such that the sleeve is stretched, and such that the tautly enclosing step does not interfere with operation of the robotic kitchen arm;
• programming the robotic kitchen arm to automatically move to a target configuration in which the sleeve is fold-less along the exterior surface and signal for an employee to clean the exterior surface;
• moving the robotic kitchen arm from a first configuration to said target configuration for cleaning while the sleeve tautly encloses the robotic kitchen arm;
• and
• wiping down the exterior surface of the sleeve while the sleeve is enclosing the robotic kitchen arm and in the fold-less target configuration.