The automated chocolate picker "Chocomatic" from Roose Automation consists of a robolink® articulated arm robot, which moves on a 7th axis. Thanks to the flexible workspace and the integrated camera system, the robot can independently pick up pre-selected chocolates and carefully place them in a box. All the customer has to do is select their desired chocolates using a mobile device. If a particular type of praline is no longer available, the customer can no longer select it and the employees are prompted to replenish this type of praline.
The problem
Small and medium-sized companies in particular often do not have the capital available to purchase the expensive robot licences required to work with the major brand suppliers in robotics. Overall, complete robot automation solutions are often very cost-intensive and do not pay off annually for SMEs. In addition, many robot systems are designed for industrial applications and are too comprehensive or complex for smaller applications.
The solution:
For the automated chocolate picker system, a robolink® robot arm travels on a drylin® ZLW axis, which extends the robot's working area by the so-called 7th axis. The customer selects the desired chocolates on a mobile device for the robot to pick up and place in a box. With the help of an integrated camera system, the robot scans the chocolates and learns information about the position and height of the chocolates. The shop employees do not need any training or programming knowledge, as the robot's integrated control system is intuitive to use. The low-cost praline picker from igus® is primarily used as a tourist attraction for praline shops and museums. It is also more hygienic, as the chocolates do not come into contact with people and are placed directly into the box.