There are a variety of machines in commercial food processing that do a variety of shaking, flipping, spinning, squirting, etc. to make whatever thing they are making.
Why not create a line of small robots that can stand the heat of a home oven and use them for things like shaking nuts for roasting, flipping the fish in a pan, or any other mechanical requirement that usually results in the use of a fork, a spatula, and an oven mit?-- zigness, Mar 02 2006 Dog Powered Spit http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/item1/7810 [Galbinus_Caeli, Mar 03 2006] Science Food http://www.motorest...om/flash/index.htmlCool restaurant in Chicago that uses science in cooking. [zigness, Mar 04 2006] Three Laws of Robotics http://www.auburn.e...stmon/robotics.html [notmarkflynn, Mar 04 2006] Why not, indeed.-- neelandan, Mar 03 2006 Expense - high temperature solid state electronics required, or super efficient insulation which would mean more expense or make the machine too bulky and useless.
Safety - batteries break down at high temperatures. Small robot heated to 250 C tumbles off oven rack into pan of hot oil you are just removing....or dives into sponge cake....
Contamination - volatiles escape from robot joint lubricants and taint food.
Demand - pleasure of cooking is in the use of your own skill and judgement about when to turn, remove, stir. Being as one with the meal. Chefs would throw a knife at you for suggesting this, and most cooks would prefer to do it themselves.-- ConsulFlaminicus, Mar 03 2006 It doesn't need to be either electronic or battery driven - clockwork is a well-established kitchen technology that should have no problems with oven temperatures.-- DrCurry, Mar 03 2006 Misread a bit of [Consul]'s last post, and wondered if voilatiles might be a quick and easy way to redecorate my bathroom.
I like this idea. Although I'm no chef, I'd like to find out how fish, chicken and other roastable meats would benefit from a constant robotic massage at high temperatures. It's got to affect the taste in some kind of way, and, previous to his royal zigness' idea, we've had no way of finding out so far.-- lostdog, Mar 03 2006 There's no way I'd ever let a robot shake my nuts, though.-- lostdog, Mar 03 2006 Well [DrCurry], if its simple clockwork we are talking about then this is baked, widely known to exist. What is the common rotisserie after all but a simple 'robot' at work in the oven.-- ConsulFlaminicus, Mar 04 2006 EXTRAMERINADE! EXTRAMERINADE!-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Mar 04 2006 I second lostdog.-- neelandan, Mar 04 2006 "batteries break down at high temperatures." Can't the high temperature be used to wind-up the robot?-- rrr, Mar 04 2006 [ConsulFlaminicus], I think you're thinking very much inside the box... the robot could be integrated into the oven itself with the electronics on the outside. Further, I wouldn't design batteries into a device like this -- I'd provide a way for it to plug into the house current. In fact, as far as your first three items go, industrial automation companies and NASA have pretty much knocked those out.
As for demand... pleasure of cooking is in whatever gives you the pleasure of cooking. Just because "most" cooks wouldn't want it, that doesn't mean there is no demand.
I agree with [lostdog]... things might be possible with this that aren't without it. (I'm sure of that actually)-- zigness, Mar 04 2006 Batteries? Why batteries? All you need to power it is water. It converts to steam in the heat of the oven, you use it, then vent it before it soaks the cake or whatever.-- lurch, Mar 04 2006 We should change the Laws of Robotics to include "The robot must be preheated to 450 degrees for one hour, as long as such an action does not conflict with the First, Second, or Third Law."-- notmarkflynn, Mar 04 2006 "Can you stop him?"
"With these weapons - I don't know."
(from the movie "Terminoven")-- normzone, Mar 04 2006 Stop! Or I'll bake!
(from the movie Terminoven II)-- zigness, Mar 04 2006 "There is no cake but what we bake for ourselves."
(from the movie Terminoven III)-- Canuck, Mar 05 2006 random, halfbakery