On-demand robotic food assembly and related systems, devices and methods

A method of operation of an on-demand robotic food preparation assembly line, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a control system, a plurality of individual orders for food items;
• generating, by the control system, control signals based on the respective orders for food items, and
• conveying, by a conveyor, a plurality of instances of the food items along at least a portion of the robotic food preparation assembly line;
• and
• causing, by the control system, a respective tool of a respective appendage of each of a plurality of robots to assemble the instances of the food items based at least in part on the control signals, where at least a first instance the food items includes a first set of ingredients and a second instance of the food items, immediately successively following the first instance of the food items along the conveyor, includes a second set of ingredients, the second set of ingredients different from the first set of ingredients.

An on-demand food preparation assembly line, comprising:

• a first set of assembly stations, each station at which a portion of a food item is assembled;
• at least one food grade conveyor belt that transits past the assembly stations of the first plurality of assembly stations at a first speed;
• at least one oven;
• at least one oven conveyor rack that conveys food items through the at least one oven at a second speed, the second speed slower than the first speed;
• a first transfer conveyor that transfers food items from the food grade conveyor belt that moves at the first speed to the at least one oven conveyor rack that moves at the second speed.

A piece of equipment for use in an on-demand food preparation assembly line, the on-demand food preparation assembly line including at least one food grade conveyor belt that transits at a first speed, a number of ovens, and at number of oven conveyor racks that conveys food items through the ovens at a second speed, the second speed slower than the first speed, the piece of equipment comprising:

• a robot, the robot having at least one appendage that is selectively moveable with respect to an end of the food grade conveyor belt and a respective end of each of the oven conveyor racks;
• and
• a transfer conveyor rack positioned at least proximate an end of the appendage of the robot for movement therewith;
• and
• at least one motor drivingly coupled to the transfer conveyor rack and selectively operable to move the transfer conveyor rack in at least a first direction with respect to the end of the appendage.

A method of operating a piece of equipment for use in an on-demand food preparation assembly line, the on-demand food preparation assembly line including at least one food grade conveyor belt that transits at a first speed, a number of ovens, and at number of oven conveyor racks that conveys food items through the ovens at a second speed, the second speed slower than the first speed, the method comprising:

• selectively moving at least one appendage of a robot to position a transfer conveyor rack carried by the appendage of the robot proximate an end of the food grade conveyor belt and a respective end of a first one of the oven conveyor racks;
• driving the transfer conveyor rack to transfer a first instance of a food item to the first one of the oven conveyor racks;
• selectively moving the at least one appendage of the robot to position the transfer conveyor rack carried by the appendage of the robot proximate the end of the food grade conveyor belt and a respective end of a second one of the oven conveyor racks;
• and
• driving the transfer conveyor rack to transfer a second instance of a food item to the second one of the oven conveyor racks.

A food preparation robotic system, comprising:

• a number of arms;
• an end of arm tool having a contact portion with a round shape that performs redistribution of a component on a portion of a food item without cutting the food item and without adding any material to the food item;
• at least one motor drivingly coupled to selectively move the end of arm tool in an at least two-dimensional pattern;
• at least one sensor that senses a position of the at least one component of the food item;
• and
• at least one controller, the at least one controller communicatively coupled to receive information from the at least one sensor, the at least one controller which determines a pattern of movement based at least on part on the received information, the at least one controller communicatively coupled to supply control signals to drive the end of arm tool in the determined pattern of movement.

A method of operation of a food preparation robotic system,

• the method comprising:
• sensing, by at least one sensor, at least one of a position, a shape or an orientation of at least one component of a food item;
• and
• receiving information, by a controller, from the at least one sensor;
• determining, by the controller, a pattern of movement of an end of arm tool based at least on part on the received information;
• supplying, via the controller, control signals to drive the end of arm tool in the determined pattern of movement, where the end of arm tool has a contact portion with a round shape that performs redistribution of a component on a portion of a food item without cutting the food item and without adding any material to the food item.