10017954Project Tuck: An Automated End-to-End Robotic Fryer Solution for Quick Service RestaurantsClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKThe hospitality industry is currently experiencing the most challenging market conditions in its history. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced widespread closures and social distancing has vastly reduced the number of staff able to operate in a kitchen. Many employees have found alternative employment and will not return to working in kitchens. Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), which were already running at a significant pre-pandemic staff deficit, need solutions to address this staffing crisis without compromising product quality. Karakuri was born out of a market need to update and transform the ready-to-eat meal market and is at the cutting-edge of robotics for foodservice. We want to provide a better, more fulfilling working environment for restaurant employees by removing repetitive, hot, time-consuming tasks. This project will develop an automated solution for QSR kitchens, targeting a number of roles that are often vacant and unfillable, resulting in staff being distracted from other roles to cover them or resulting in temporary or permanent restaurant closures. It will remove the need for staff to operate the hot, unpleasant, often dangerous equipment and be better employed in more fulfilling tasks. By predicting demand and optimising batch production, our solution will save energy and food waste and maximise efficiency. The Karakuri solution utilises existing equipment and extraction and provides full automation from freezer to packing for a number of hot-cooked products. In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, Karakuri will support the hospitality industry and UK high street with our robotics solution to automate an unpleasant and unsafe task, solving the staffing-crisis and preventing business closures, dramatically improving staff-wellbeing (of often young and marginalised workers) by enabling retraining and redeployment to safer and more enjoyable QSR roles, and contributing to the wider economic recovery. All whilst improving product quality, ensuring product consistency and saving energy and food waste.