Yummy Operations Robot Initiative: Autonomous Cooking System Utilizing a Modular Robotic Kitchen and a Dual-Arm Proprioceptive Manipulator

TL;DR

YORI is a modular dual-arm robotic system capable of autonomous multi-dish cooking, integrating proprioceptive actuators, flexible tools, and advanced planning to reliably prepare complex meals in a scalable kitchen environment.

Contribution

This work introduces YORI, a novel robotic cooking system with proprioceptive dual arms, modular kitchen design, and dynamic scheduling for multi-dish preparation, advancing autonomous culinary robotics.

Findings

Successfully demonstrated multi-dish cooking with YORI in live sessions.

Achieved precise, force-controlled movements using proprioceptive actuators.

Implemented dynamic rescheduling for reliable order fulfillment.

Abstract

This paper presents Yummy Operations Robot Initiative (YORI), a proprioceptive dual-arm robotic system that demonstrates autonomous multi-dish cooking for scalable food service applications. YORI integrates a dual-arm manipulator equipped with proprioceptive actuators, custom-designed tools, appliances, and a structured kitchen environment to address the complexities of cooking tasks. The proprioceptive actuators enable fast, precise, force-controlled movements while mitigating the risks associated with cooking-related impacts. The system's modular kitchen design and flexible tool-changing mechanism support simultaneous multi-dish preparation through torque control and optimization-based motion planning and scheduling. A comprehensive scheduling framework with dynamic rescheduling ensures reliable adaptation to new orders and delays. The system was publicly validated through live demonstrations, reliably preparing steak-frites across multiple convention sessions. This paper details YORI's design and explores future directions in kitchen optimization, task planning, and food quality control, demonstrating its potential as a scalable robotic cooking solution. A system introduction and cooking videos are available online.