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Chef Robotics, a specialist in AI-enabled automation for the food sector, has announced the launch of Chef+, its most advanced meal assembly robot to date.

Engineered based on data from over 80 million servings produced in live environments, the new unit is designed to address critical operational constraints in food manufacturing: specifically, restricted floor space, production throughput, and stringent sanitation requirements.

Operational Enhancements

The Chef+ system introduces advancements across six key technical areas, explicitly targeting the bottlenecks found in cold-room production environments.

• Doubled Capacity: Ingredient pans feature twice the volume of previous models. This increased capacity extends intervals between refills, significantly reducing labour touchpoints—a critical advantage for high-volume or low-density ingredients like leafy greens.

• Optimised Footprint: Despite the capacity increase, the robot maintains a "human-sized" footprint. The thinner design allows for deployment in tight spaces and enables the configuration of back-to-back production lines to maximise floor utility.

• Reliability & Connectivity: The unit features integrated electrical enclosures with sealed wiring to increase mean time between failures (MTBF). It utilises IP cameras (superior to USB-C in cold conditions), a pneumatic water separator to keep air lines dry, and an array of dome antennas for robust Wi-Fi connectivity.

Sanitation and Performance Specs

To meet strict food safety standards, the Chef+ frame utilises an open-angle iron design, eliminating crevices where residue could accumulate and facilitating easier cleaning.

In terms of processing power, the robot boasts upgraded CPU and GPU capabilities, allowing it to adapt to variable ingredient types in real-time. A three-camera vision system provides precise tracking of conveyor speeds and trays to ensure accurate ingredient placement.

Usability and Availability

The system includes several features designed to reduce setup time, including "daisy-chain" power configurations (allowing multiple robots to run from a single ceiling source), self-levelling feet, and glove-friendly P-CAP touchscreens.

Chef+ is currently running in production at several customer sites and is now widely available to food manufacturers across the US, Canada, and the UK.