Illinois Patent of the Month – January 2022
The world has been moving towards automation for a long time now, with the automation of many manufacturing processes already well implemented. In more recent years, we have seen the automation of service industries through self-checkout and fast food ordering kiosks. To complement these innovations, Prince Castle, LLC has developed a method for a robot to prepare food from cooking to assembling.
The method involves the use of a robotic arm to perform the initial food preparation, including frying chicken, meat, fries etc. Once cooked, the arm can be instructed to assemble the food as needed, whether it’s a sandwich or a basket of food, and then wrap it up to go. In order to make this possible, Prince Castle has designed a process the arm can follow using a series of containers and baskets. For instance, the arm can hold a wire basket which has meat in it and move the meat through the egg and flour/seasoning bases by dipping the basket into the egg base, then into the flour base. The robotic arm can hold a spatula to flip the meat and ensure it’s fully coated. With the help of a wrap assist device, the arm can wrap up the finished product so that it’s ready to be given to a customer.
Prince Castle has a love for food, and improving the preparation process. Introducing a robot to handle the food prep would reduce the labor needed and introduce a more consistent final product.
Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.
Who We Are:
Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.
Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.