"ChocoMatic" the automatic chocolate dispenser

The development project "ChocoMatic" is an automatic chocolate selection device with an igus robot arm. It is mounted on an igus guide. The customer controls a robot with a tablet or his own smartphone, which compiles the individual selection for the customer from a pallet of different chocolates and places it in a box.

These applications are all about interaction between the customer and the robot.

The employees of the store where a robot has been set up do not need any training and do not have to perform any difficult tasks. The robot works completely "on its own", all you have to do is refill the chocolates and press the start button.

The robot is equipped with a camera and takes pictures of all the chocolates. From the data, it automatically learns where the different types of chocolates are located. The robot also measures the height of each type of praline. This information is later used when filling a box of chocolates. For each praline requested by the customer, a picture is first taken to determine the exact position of the praline. It is then picked up exactly in the center and placed in the box. The robot also takes into account the position of each praline in the box. It will therefore not immediately place the "difficult", round chocolates in the box, but will first determine a sequence in order to then decide when it is best to deposit these chocolates.

If a certain type of chocolate is no longer available, the customer cannot select it and employees are notified and asked to refill that type of chocolate. The setup provides excellent service to the customer and is very easy for employees to use. Technical expertise is not required.

The robolink series from igus has two advantages:

• There are no expensive licenses to pay, which often threaten the profitability of the product with their annual recurring costs.

• The robolink robot arm's small size and light weight make it ideal for a wide range of smaller applications.

This design serves mainly as a tourist attraction in chocolate stores and museums that live mainly from tourism. On the other hand, it can also reduce the cost of such business. The employees can fully concentrate on the customer's wishes and help him further, while the customer assembles a box of chocolates and gives orders to the robot.

In addition, this automatic chocolate counter is also more hygienic because the chocolates do not come into contact with people and are placed directly in the box.

Machine Planner