Recently, I directly observed a novel robotic system capable of preparing and serving food, mirroring concepts long explored in science fiction. Today, Karakuri, a company specializing in food robotics, is introducing its inaugural automated canteen system, known as the “DK-One” robot. Alongside this unveiling, the company announced an $8.4 million (£6.3 million) investment round, spearheaded by firstminute capital, with additional contributions from Hoxton Ventures, Taylor Brothers, Ocado Group, and the U.K.’s Future Fund. To date, Karakuri has secured a total of £13.5 million in funding.

Karakuri’s robotic technology was initially developed for the creation of breakfast bowls. However, the system’s applications extend to a wide variety of settings, including restaurants, cafeterias, buffets, hotels, and supermarkets. It could even be utilized in the management of vertical farms. A key advantage of this technology lies in its ability to produce highly customized food combinations, making “personalized nutrition” a practical reality. This brings to life the futuristic vision of robotically tailored meals seen in films.

The world following the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to readily adopt this type of technology, given the robot’s inherent cleanliness and operational efficiency in comparison to human food preparation. Importantly, Karakuri does not intend to replace human workers, but rather to support them by automating monotonous and repetitive tasks, which often lead to high turnover rates in kitchen staff. A robotic solution is particularly well-suited to these types of roles.

The DK-One robot represents Karakuri’s first pre-production model, integrating cutting-edge robotics, sensing, and control technologies. It is designed to produce high-quality hot and cold meals, optimizing nutritional value, restaurant efficiency, and minimizing food waste.

Following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, further on-site trials of the DK-One are scheduled for the first half of 2021.

The DK-One robot operates within a circular space, rapidly and accurately dispensing portions as defined by a user-friendly application. This allows customers to customize their meals and simultaneously track the ingredients, nutritional content, calories, and quantity of each item.

Each installation can accommodate up to 18 ingredients, with precise temperature control for each. The system is capable of handling all ingredient types – wet, dry, soft, or hard – and dispensing them onto plates, bowls, or various meal containers.

The robot’s precision significantly reduces food waste related to portion sizes and provides real-time data on ingredient usage. This technology has the potential to improve the typically narrow profit margins of restaurants by automating repetitive tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more complex and rewarding work. It also integrates seamlessly into existing commercial kitchen environments.

Barney Wragg, CEO and co-founder of Karakuri, stated: “This marks the first opportunity to demonstrate the DK-One’s commercial and nutritional benefits using a pre-production machine in a real-world setting, and to showcase our vision for the future of food.”

Karakuri was established by Simon Watt and Wragg, longtime friends and former colleagues at ARM. In April 2018, Founders Factory invested in Karakuri, and Brent Hoberman joined the board as chairman (and is also recognized as a co-founder).