Ocado’s new robot will feed 4000 people per day

Does Ocado’s new food-service robot give us a taste of what’s to come in retail? Robot makers Karakuri have installed their “Semblr 1” robot at Ocado’s HQ, which will prepare Asian fusion bowls all day everyday.

The Semblr 1 (formerly known as the DK-One) is a 2m x 2m kiosk that assembles various cold and hot ingredients into prepared meals. It’s not exactly a chef; the robot merely holds different foods in a refrigerated hopper that contains 14 different ingredients. Employees at the HQ can order ‘bowls’ using an app and the robot adds the correct portion, layer by layer in each bowl. It can make upto 110 meals per hour (or 4 meals at the same time).

Ocado is a minority shareholder in the robotics company, so it’s no surprise that they’ve welcomed this innovation into their offices.

It’s not the first time we’ve reported on robotics innovations – there’s a whole host of them on their way. The question on our mind is the extent to which these ‘machines’ will be able to add efficiency in-store, helping colleagues to prepare pizzas, salads, sushi and other food-to-go items. We’ll keep watching this space carefully.