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Sriram Nagaswamy, Government Vice President at FourKites – Interview Sequence


FourKites is acknowledged for its position in AI-driven provide chain transformation and is the developer of the Clever Management Tower™, which operates on what’s described because the world’s largest real-time visibility community. The platform permits the creation of complete digital twins of provide chains and integrates AI-powered digital brokers to help automation, improve collaboration, and drive operational outcomes for all stakeholders. In distinction to conventional management towers, FourKites’ resolution is designed to help real-time execution and clever achievement throughout each supply-side and customer-facing operations.

What impressed the current shift at FourKites from visibility to regulate towers, and the way did you establish the hole available in the market or that this was the suitable time to pursue these new objectives?

FourKites’ shift to regulate towers and a brand new digital workforce displays a much bigger evolution within the provide chain and logistics area. Merely put, visibility and insights are not sufficient. With the speedy evolution of AI and a imaginative and prescient to maneuver past mere information supply, suppliers are prioritizing clever automation and options that may not solely streamline operations however ship on the promise of AI taking automated motion on the insights that real-time information and visibility present.

The transfer to our clever management tower and a digital workforce helps our prospects obtain their strategic targets in ways in which had been by no means earlier than potential. Now, AI can remodel provide chain administration from reactive monitoring to the proactive orchestration we got down to obtain years in the past, enabling extra autonomous and clever workflows.

Are you able to inform us extra about your journey in know-how and AI and the way it led you to your present position at FourKites?

I began my engineering profession over 20 years in the past in Chicago. Since then I’ve fostered a ardour for all points of know-how from sign processing, video compression, and pc imaginative and prescient, to machine studying and SaaS supply.

The speedy improvement of AI has supercharged that zeal, and the will to be on the forefront of its improvement and adoption within the provide chain has made it a really thrilling time to work within the trade.

That early expertise, together with stops at Logitech, Samsung, and others, led me to my present position at FourKites, the place I’m liable for product supply, information science, and empowering my crew with progress alternatives and platforms to showcase revolutionary work within the provide chain.

As a thought chief in provide chain know-how, how do you see AI reshaping the panorama within the subsequent few years?

Our mission has all the time been to unravel provide chain challenges whereas quickly embracing technological improvements. As we glance forward, what excites me essentially the most is that AI might be utilized in methods we by no means thought potential, serving to prospects collect, course of and take motion in new methods.

Think about that as an alternative of requiring guide inputs for fundamental data, customers of every type will have the ability to merely discuss to an app or take an image of what they see and the LLM will have the ability to establish and extract the identical high quality of knowledge.

Take the Port of New Jersey, and Port of Newark Container Terminal, for instance. They’ve video cameras which are on 24/7 and refresh each 30 seconds. If we begin capturing these frames, we are able to know precisely what vehicles went in and got here out by simply wanting on the license plates or container numbers. Most ports have these cameras accessible 24/7, so the democratization of knowledge and extra pure methods of gathering information would be the lowest-hanging fruit that may revolutionize transport and monitoring.

What metrics or success indicators are most necessary to you when evaluating the platform’s affect on prospects?

A very powerful metrics for evaluating the platform’s buyer affect embrace workflow automation capability, discount in guide duties, and particular operational effectivity enhancements. We’re taking a look at how we are able to cut back OTIF penalties, lower integration prices, enhance cargo dealing with capability, and allow extra autonomous and clever provide chain administration. These metrics present a tangible capacity to ship worth for purchasers by reworking complicated provide chain processes.

How does FourKites leverage AI and machine studying to offer a aggressive edge within the provide chain know-how market?

We leverage AI and machine studying to drive significant progress towards eliminating as we speak’s pervasive information silos, paving the way in which towards a extra environment friendly methodology of monitoring, analyzing and performing on provide chain information in actual time.

To that finish, we use AI to assist assess the affect of disruptive occasions, diagnose monitoring points, receive product steerage, and extra. Our new AI-powered digital staff automate widespread workflows, eliminating 80% of routine duties and rising cargo dealing with capability by 40% whereas working across the clock.

What differentiates FourKite’s resolution from others within the trade, notably by way of AI capabilities and integrations?

We differentiate ourselves by specializing in end-to-end workflow execution, changing generic AI fashions into provide chain area consultants, and sustaining a dedication to steady studying and speedy know-how adoption. By integrating real-time community information, digital twins of consumers’ provide chain operations, and an AI-powered digital workforce, we provide the trade’s most complete and clever resolution.

Are you able to share insights into the event course of behind FourKite’s core options, together with its real-time provide chain information, digital twins and digital workforce?

The event course of for FourKites’ core options is characterised by speedy experimentation, studying, and a collaborative method. We use a devoted R&D crew we name the AI Guild targeted on exploring the newest applied sciences, conducting inner testing and validation, and sharing insights in a method that strikes as quick as AI can develop.

By breaking complicated duties into smaller, manageable actions and constantly evaluating and integrating new AI fashions, we guarantee our options stay cutting-edge and adaptable.

How have developments in cloud computing and digitization influenced the way in which organizations method their provide chain visibility and automation?

Developments in cloud computing and digitization have profoundly influenced provide chain visibility and automation by dramatically lowering AI coaching prices, eradicating operational silos, and enabling extra complicated and clever programs at scale. These technological shifts have created a necessity for steady studying and adaptation, permitting organizations to develop extra autonomous, clever provide chain options with considerably lowered infrastructure prices and elevated operational flexibility.

How does the Clever Management Tower deal with the important thing limitations of legacy provide chain programs, corresponding to their reliance on batch processing and lack of real-time integration, to allow autonomous actions and enhance operational effectivity?

There isn’t a query that legacy programs have created important roadblocks for corporations hoping to realize extra data-intensive operations and supply better worth by leveraging agentic AI and clever automation.

Regardless of important innovation, we’ve discovered that legacy programs nonetheless battle in terms of real-time information as a result of many are designed for batch processing with relational databases. When FourKites pioneered the real-time provide chain visibility market, our assumption was that enterprise planning and execution programs would devour the data we offer and operationalize it, however that by no means occurred and our prospects had been left to operationalize their information on their very own.

Now, our Clever Management Tower resolution flips the script on legacy programs. Somewhat than counting on enterprise programs to devour information and operationalize it, corporations can as an alternative leverage AI-powered platforms like FourKites to devour the info from legacy programs and combine it into workflows the place digital and human staff alike have the context they want.

What particular use circumstances or buyer ache factors had been prioritized within the improvement of the Clever Management Tower™, and the way do its AI-driven packages, like Provider Join AI and Yard Join AI, create measurable worth for provide chain stakeholders?

In growing the Clever Management Tower, we got down to notice the imaginative and prescient we had since day one at FourKites: to make provide chains extra environment friendly and resilient by addressing essential challenges, corresponding to assessing and mitigating disruptions, automating routine duties, lowering guide doc processing, enhancing provider collaboration, and extra.

We’re tackling these challenges by providing tailored packages that leverage AI to make operational enhancements in the most typical areas. For instance, we’re automating routine track-and-trace actions to extend cargo dealing with capability by 40% and drive as much as a 30% discount in OTIF penalties. We’re additionally serving to shippers utterly automate their collaboration with suppliers delivering extra effectivity within the procurement course of.

Thanks for the nice interview, readers who want to study extra ought to go to FourKites.

Quantum Networking: How Cisco is Accelerating Sensible Quantum Computing


Simply as Cisco helped construct infrastructure for the web, we’re now creating quantum networking know-how that would be the basis for the quantum web, making quantum computing sensible years forward of present timelines. Our method might speed up impactful quantum computing and networking functions from a long time away to simply 5-10 years. As we speak, we’re saying two milestones:

  1. Unveiling of Cisco’s Quantum Community Entanglement Chip – a analysis prototype and breakthrough know-how that permits quantum networks to scale and join quantum processors for sensible functions
  2. Opening of Cisco Quantum Labs – our devoted analysis lab in Santa Monica, CA, the place quantum scientists and engineers are constructing tomorrow’s quantum networking applied sciences

Breaking the Quantum Scaling Barrier

Right here’s the problem: As we speak’s quantum processors have solely a whole lot of qubits, whereas functions require tens of millions. Even probably the most bold quantum computing roadmaps at the moment solely goal a number of thousand qubits by 2030.

Many years in the past, classical computing confronted comparable challenges till we started to attach smaller nodes collectively via networking infrastructure to create highly effective distributed methods inside knowledge facilities and cloud computing. Simply as using giant classical monolithic pc methods phased out, the way forward for quantum doesn’t lie in a single monolithic quantum pc. Scaled-out quantum knowledge facilities, the place processors work collectively via specialised networking, would be the sensible and achievable path ahead.

Corporations constructing quantum processors will profit from Cisco’s quantum networking applied sciences to scale their methods. By constructing this infrastructure now, Cisco helps to speed up your entire quantum ecosystem.

The Quantum Community Entanglement Chip

A key a part of our quantum networking imaginative and prescient is Cisco’s quantum community entanglement chip, developed as a prototype in collaboration with UC Santa Barbara. It generates pairs of entangled photons that allow instantaneous connection no matter distance via quantum teleportation—what Einstein famously described as “spooky motion at a distance.”¹

What makes our entanglement chip stand out:

  • Works with current infrastructure: Operates at commonplace telecom wavelengths and might subsequently leverage current fiber optic infrastructure
  • Sensible deployment: Features at room temperature as a miniaturized Photonic Built-in Chip (PIC), making it appropriate for scalable system deployment at present
  • Vitality effectivity: Consumes lower than 1mW of energy
  • Excessive efficiency: 1 million high-fidelity entanglement pairs per output channel, with a charge of as much as 200 million entanglement pairs per second in chip

See the technique part beneath to find how these capabilities ship quick enterprise worth—each for quantum knowledge facilities of tomorrow and quantum enhanced classical functions at present.

From Lab to Actuality

Whereas at present marks the formal opening of the Cisco Quantum Labs facility in Santa Monica, our crew has been growing fundamentals of the quantum networking stack for years. The lab serves as a facility the place our researchers can experiment with quantum networking options that bridge each theoretical ideas and sensible implementation. Our method is detailed in our arXiv paper “Quantum Information Middle Infrastructures,” which outlines the structure wanted for distributed quantum computing methods.

Past the entanglement chip, we’re utilizing the lab to advance analysis prototypes of different vital elements to finish our imaginative and prescient of the quantum networking stack, together with entanglement distribution protocols, a distributed quantum computing compiler, Quantum Community Growth Package (QNDK), and a Quantum Random Quantity Generator (QRNG) utilizing quantum vacuum noise. Extra elements of our quantum knowledge heart infrastructure roadmap can be introduced quickly as we full our imaginative and prescient of the quantum networking stack.

In parallel, Cisco groups are implementing Put up-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) NIST requirements throughout our portfolio, guaranteeing classical networks stay safe in a post-quantum world.

Advancing Quantum Networking in Two Strategic Instructions

Our quantum networking technique follows two complementary paths:

  • Quantum Community for the Quantum World: We’re constructing infrastructure to attach quantum processors at scale, enabling distributed quantum computing, quantum sensing, and optimization algorithms that would remodel vital functions akin to drug discovery, supplies science, and complicated logistics issues. Our quantum community entanglement chip is foundational to this imaginative and prescient.
  • Quantum Community for the Classical World: Whereas sensible quantum computing issues may be a number of years away, quantum networking rules supply quick advantages to classical methods via use circumstances akin to eavesdropper-proof safe communication, ultra-precise time synchronization, choice signaling, and safe location verification.

What makes our quantum networking method highly effective is our concentrate on each software program and {hardware} improvement. By growing our personal community {hardware} elements such because the chip alongside our full software program stack, we acquire distinctive insights into how these parts work collectively to construct full quantum networking infrastructure. Whereas some firms focus solely on one sort of quantum computing know-how (superconducting, ion entice, or impartial atom-based methods), Cisco is constructing a vendor-agnostic framework that works with any quantum computing know-how. This method mirrors Cisco’s historic energy in networking – we don’t want to choose winners as a result of we’re constructing the networking cloth that may allow numerous quantum applied sciences to scale.

For a deeper technical dive into how our quantum community entanglement chip and quantum knowledge heart structure work, try the weblog by Ramana Kompella, Cisco Fellow and VP of Cisco Analysis and Reza Nejabati, Head of Quantum Analysis and Cisco Quantum Labs.

 

¹ A observe to readers: All through this weblog, we’re tackling advanced quantum physics rules utilizing simplified analogies and explanations. Whereas these simplifications assist make quantum ideas extra accessible, they naturally omit a few of the technical depth of quantum mechanics. It’s necessary to notice that quantum teleportation doesn’t enable for faster-than-light data transmission.

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Android Studio Meerkat Characteristic Drop is secure



Android Studio Meerkat Characteristic Drop is secure

Posted by Adarsh Fernando, Group Product Supervisor

Android Studio Meerkat Characteristic Drop is secure

Right this moment, we’re excited to announce the secure launch of Android Studio Meerkat Characteristic Drop (2024.3.2)!

This launch brings a number of latest options and enhancements designed to spice up your productiveness and improve your growth workflow. With quite a few enhancements, this newest launch helps you construct high-quality Android apps sooner and extra effectively: streamlined Jetpack Compose previews, new Gemini capabilities, higher Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) integration, improved gadget administration, and extra.

Learn on to find out about the important thing updates in Android Studio Meerkat Characteristic Drop, and obtain the newest secure model immediately to discover them your self!

Developer Productiveness Enhancements

Analyze Crash Experiences with Gemini in Android Studio

Debugging manufacturing crashes can require you to spend important time switching contexts between your crash reporting software, akin to Firebase Crashlytics and Android Vitals, and investigating root causes within the IDE. Now, when viewing experiences in App High quality Insights (AQI), click on the Insights tab. Gemini supplies a abstract of the crash, generates insights, and hyperlinks to helpful documentation. In the event you additionally present Gemini with entry to native code context, it could present extra correct outcomes, related subsequent steps, and code options. This helps you cut back the time spent diagnosing and resolving points.

moving image of Gemini in the App Quality Insights tool window in Android Studio

Gemini helps you examine, perceive, and resolve crashes in your app way more shortly within the App High quality Insights software window.

Generate Unit Check Eventualities with Gemini

Writing efficient unit exams is essential however could be time-consuming. Gemini now helps kickstart this course of by producing related check eventualities. Proper-click on a category in your editor and choose Gemini > Generate Unit Check Eventualities. Gemini analyzes the code and suggests check circumstances with descriptive names, outlining what to check. When you nonetheless implement the precise check logic, this considerably hurries up the preliminary setup and ensures higher check protection by suggesting eventualities you might need missed.

moving image of generating unit test scenarios in Android Studio

Gemini helps you generate unit check eventualities to your app.

Gemini Immediate Library

No extra retyping your most regularly used prompts for Gemini! The brand new Immediate Library helps you to save prompts instantly inside Android Studio (Settings > Gemini > Immediate Library). Whether or not it is a particular code era sample, a refactoring instruction, or a debugging question you employ typically, put it aside as soon as from the chat (right-click > Save immediate) and re-apply it immediately from the editor (right-click > Gemini > Immediate Library). Prompts that you just save may also be shared and standardized throughout your crew.

moving image of prompt library in Android Studio

The immediate library saves your regularly used Gemini prompts to make them simpler to make use of.

You will have the choice to retailer prompts on IDE stage or Mission stage:

    • IDE stage prompts are non-public and can be utilized throughout a number of initiatives.
    • Mission stage prompts could be shared throughout groups engaged on the identical mission (if .thought folder is added to VCS).

Compose and UI Improvement

Themed Icon Help Preview

Guarantee your app’s branding seems to be nice with Android’s themed icons. Android Studio now helps you to preview how your present launcher icon adapts to the monochromatic theming algorithm instantly inside the IDE. This fast visible verify helps you establish potential distinction points or undesirable shapes early within the workflow, even earlier than you present a devoted monochromatic drawable. This permits for sooner iteration in your app’s visible identification.

moving image of themed icon support in preview in Android Studio

Themed icon help in Preview helps you visually verify how your present launcher icon adapts to monochromatic theming.

Compose Preview Enhancements

Iterating in your Compose UI is now sooner and higher organized:

    • Enhanced Zoom: Navigate advanced layouts extra simply with smoother, extra responsive zooming in your Compose previews.
    • Collapsible Teams: Tidy up your preview floor by collapsing teams of associated composables beneath their @Preview annotation names, letting you give attention to particular components of the UI with out muddle.
    • Grid Mode by Default: Grid mode is now the default for a transparent overview. Gallery mode (for flipping by particular person previews) is out there through right-click, whereas Listing view has been eliminated to streamline the expertise.

moving image of Compose previews in Android Studio

Compose previews render extra easily and make it simpler to cover previews you’re not targeted on.

Construct and Deploy

KMP Shared Module Integration

Android Studio now streamlines including shared logic to your Android app with the brand new Kotlin Multiplatform Shared Module template. This supplies a devoted start line inside your Android mission, making it simpler to construction and construct shared enterprise logic for each Android and iOS instantly from Android Studio.

Kotlin Multiplatform template in Android Studio

The brand new Kotlin Multiplatform module template makes it simpler so as to add shared enterprise logic to your present app.

Up to date UX for Including Units

Spend much less time configuring check gadgets. The brand new Gadget Supervisor UX for including digital and distant gadgets makes it a lot simpler to configure the gadgets you need from the Gadget Supervisor. To get began, click on the ‘+’ motion on the prime of the window and choose one in every of these choices:

    • Create Digital Gadget: New filters, suggestions, and creation movement information you in the direction of creating AVDs which can be finest suited to your supposed function and your machine’s efficiency.
    • Add Distant Units: With Android Gadget Streaming, powered by Firebase, you may join and debug your app with quite a lot of actual bodily gadgets. With a brand new catalog view and filters, it is now simpler to find and begin utilizing the gadget you want in only a few clicks.

moving image of configuring virtual devices in Android Studio

It’s now simpler to configure digital gadgets which can be optimized to your workstation.

Google Play Deprecated SDK Warnings

Keep extra knowledgeable about SDKs you publish together with your app. Android Studio now shows warnings from the Google Play SDK Index when an SDK utilized in your app has been deprecated by its writer. These warnings embrace details about recommended different SDKs, serving to you proactively handle dependencies and keep away from potential points associated to outdated or insecure libraries.

Google Play Deprecated SDK warnings in Android Studio

Play deprecated SDK warnings aid you keep away from potential points associated to outdated or insecure libraries.

Up to date Construct Menu and Actions

We have refined the Construct menu for a extra intuitive expertise:

    • New ‘Construct run-configuration-name’ Motion: Builds the presently chosen run configuration (e.g., :app or a selected check). That is now the default motion for the toolbar button and Management/Command+F9.
    • Reordered Actions: The brand new construct motion is prioritized on the prime, adopted by Compile and Assemble actions.
    • Clearer Naming: “Rebuild Mission” is now “Clear and Assemble Mission with Assessments”. “Make Mission” is renamed to “Assemble Mission”, and a brand new “Assemble Mission with Assessments” motion is out there.

Build menu in Android Studio

The Construct menu consists of conduct and naming adjustments to simplify and streamline the expertise.

Standardized Config Directories

Switching between Secure, Beta, and Canary variations of Android Studio is now smoother. Configuration directories are standardized, eradicating the “Preview” suffix for non-stable builds. We have additionally added the micro model (e.g., AndroidStudio2024.3.2) to the trail, permitting totally different characteristic drops to run side-by-side with out conflicts. This simplifies managing your IDE settings, particularly for those who work with a number of Android Studio installations.

IntelliJ platform replace

Android Studio Meerkat Characteristic Drop (2024.3.2) consists of the IntelliJ 2024.3 platform launch, which has many new options akin to a characteristic full K2 mode, extra dependable Java** and Kotlin code inspections, grammar checks throughout indexing, debugger enhancements, pace and high quality of life enhancements to Terminal, and extra.

For extra info, learn the complete IntelliJ 2024.3 launch notes.

Abstract

Android Studio Meerkat Characteristic Drop (2024.3.2) delivers these key options and enhancements:

    • Developer Productiveness:
        • Analyze Crash Experiences with Gemini
        • Generate Unit Check Eventualities with Gemini
        • Gemini Immediate Library
    • Compose and UI:
        • Themed Icon Preview
        • Compose Preview Enhancements (Zoom, Collapsible Teams, View Modes)
    • Construct and Deploy:
        • KMP Shared Module Template
        • Up to date UX for Including Units
        • Google Play SDK Insights: Deprecated SDK Warnings
        • Up to date Construct Menu & Actions
        • Standardized Config Directories
    • IntelliJ Platform Replace
        • Characteristic full K2 mode
        • Improved Kotlin and Java** inspection reliability
        • Debugger enhancements
        • Velocity and high quality of life enhancements in Terminal

Getting Began

Able to elevate your Android growth? Obtain Android Studio Meerkat Characteristic Drop and begin utilizing these highly effective new options immediately!

As at all times, your suggestions is essential. Examine recognized points, report bugs, counsel enhancements, and join with the neighborhood on LinkedIn, Medium, YouTube, or X. Let’s proceed constructing superb Android apps collectively!

**Java is a trademark or registered trademark of Oracle and/or its associates.



IBM THINK: IBM introduces new instruments to assist with scaling AI brokers throughout the enterprise


At its IBM THINK convention immediately, IBM launched new updates that may assist alleviate a number of the challenges related to scaling AI brokers. 

“The period of AI experimentation is over. Right this moment’s aggressive benefit comes from purpose-built AI integration that drives measurable enterprise outcomes,” stated Arvind Krishna, chairman and CEO of IBM. “IBM is equipping enterprises with hybrid applied sciences that lower by complexity and speed up production-ready AI implementations.”

New agent capabilities in watsonx Orchestrate embody:

  • New instruments for integrating, customizing, and deploying brokers 
  • Pre-build area brokers for HR, gross sales, and procurement
  • Integration with over 80 enterprise purposes, together with ones from Adobe, AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce Agentforce, SAP, ServiceNow, and Workday
  • Agent orchestration capabilities for advanced tasks like workflow planning and process routing that require coordination between a number of brokers and instruments
  • Agent observability throughout your complete agent life cycle 

The corporate additionally introduced Agent Catalog, which makes it simpler to entry brokers and pre-built instruments from IBM and its companions. At launch, it contains over 150 brokers and instruments, from companions like Field, MasterCard, Oracle, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Simplistic.ai, and 11x. 

Moreover, to assist cut back integration sprawl throughout apps, APIs, companions, occasions, gateways, and file transfers, IBM introduced webMethods Hybrid Integration (obtainable in June), which affords agent-drive automation. It offers a hybrid management aircraft that provides centralized administration and visibility of all of an organization’s integrations. 

API Join was additionally up to date with an API Agent that reduces API sprawl, safety dangers, and governance challenges. It has entry to an organization’s whole useful resource catalog, and in addition has data of software program improvement and API finest practices. Earlier than it generates a brand new API, it would search the prevailing catalog to make sure an appropriate API doesn’t exist already. 

It produces documentation for APIs it creates in order that purposes utilizing the API can have larger context into what it does. API Agent can even repair validation errors and generate re-usable take a look at instances to make sure consistency over time. 

“Because the boundaries between people, techniques and AI proceed to blur, the flexibility to seamlessly create, handle and scale APIs will probably be a aggressive benefit. With API Agent, enterprises can keep forward—constructing smarter, governing higher and unlocking the total potential of an AI-driven, agentic future,” IBM wrote in an announcement

Lastly, the corporate is introducing new methods to get worth from unstructured knowledge. Watsonx.knowledge will now mix knowledge cloth capabilities into the open knowledge lakehouse, to assist clients unify their knowledge throughout silos, codecs, and clouds. 

In the meantime, watsonx.knowledge integration is a single-interface device for orchestrating knowledge throughout a number of codecs and pipelines, whereas watsonx.knowledge intelligence will use AI to extract insights from unstructured knowledge. 

Robots-Weblog | Quick Meals automatisiert zubereitet: ABB und BurgerBots präsentieren Burger-Roboter


Mit BurgerBots, einem richtungsweisenden Restaurantkonzept, das im kalifornischen Los Gatos realisiert wurde, serviert ABB die Zukunft des Quick Meals. In der automatisierten Küche, die stets perfekt zubereitete Burger produziert, stellen der ABB-Deltaroboter IRB 360 FlexPicker sowie der kollaborative ABB-Roboter YuMi die Speisen mit hoher Präzision und Geschwindigkeit zusammen. Gleichzeitig wird der Bestand an Zutaten genau überwacht, sodass sich das Private ganz auf das Kundenerlebnis konzentrieren kann.

„Die Integration von ABB-Robotern in das Restaurantkonzept von BurgerBots zeigt, welches enorme Potenzial die Automatisierung über das Fabrikumfeld hinaus bietet“, betont Marc Segura, Leiter der Robotics-Division von ABB. „Die Gastronomiebranche ist äußerst dynamisch und anspruchsvoll, und unsere Technologie ermöglicht ihr eine Konsistenz, Effizienz und Zuverlässigkeit auf industriellem Niveau. Laut unserer Umfrage sind 89 Prozent der Führungskräfte und 73 Prozent der Arbeitskräfte im Gastgewerbe offen für die Integration von Robotik, um Aufgaben innerhalb ihres Betriebs zu automatisieren2. Wenn Roboter wiederkehrende und zeitaufwändige Aufgaben übernehmen, kann sich das Private auf das konzentrieren, worauf es am meisten ankommt – dem Gast ein unvergessliches gastronomisches Erlebnis zu bieten.“

Die kompakte Roboterzelle ist ein Novum in der automatisierten Essenszubereitung, da sie zwei Robotertypen nahtlos mit einem intelligenten Bestandsüberwachungssystem verknüpft. Bei jedem Bestelleingang wird ein frisch gebratenes Burger-Patty auf einem Brötchen in eine Burger-Field gelegt. Die Field wird anschließend auf einem Transporttablett platziert, das mit einem QR-Code versehenen ist. Während sich das Tablett auf einem Förderband bewegt, gibt der IRB 360 FlexPicker in Windeseile und auf hygienische Weise die gewünschten Beläge hinzu – gemäß der im QR-Code gespeicherten Daten. Anschließend übernimmt YuMi die Fertigstellung des Burgers. Professional Burger dauert der gesamte Vorgang lediglich 27 Sekunden.

Die ABB-Robotersteuerung lässt sich zudem nahtlos in nicht-robotische Systeme einbinden. Sie ermöglicht eine Bestandsüberwachung der Zutaten, darunter Zwiebeln, Tomaten, Salat und Saucen, in Echtzeit und sorgt so für einen reibungslosen Ablauf und ein effizientes Küchenmanagement.

Eine der größten Herausforderungen für Restaurantbesitzer besteht heutzutage darin, Private zu finden und an sich zu binden3. Eine hohe Fluktuation, steigende Lohnkosten und die Monotonie bestimmter Aufgaben im sogenannten „Again-of-Home“-Bereich setzen Gastronomiebetriebe nach wie vor unter Druck. Die Automatisierung bietet nicht nur eine Möglichkeit, Personallücken zu schließen, sondern kann durch Reduzierung manueller Tätigkeiten und Verbesserung von Arbeitsabläufen auch dabei helfen, Jobs in der Gastronomie nachhaltiger und attraktiver zu gestalten.

Eine kürzlich von ABB Robotics in Auftrag gegebene Umfrage zeigt, dass ein Umdenken in diese Richtung stattfindet. Demnach sind 67 Prozent der Beschäftigten im Gastgewerbe der Ansicht, dass Robotik und Automatisierung zum Einsatz kommen sollten, um den Umfang an monotonen, schmutzigen und gefährlichen Arbeiten zu reduzieren4. Während 63 Prozent den Gedanken, dass Robotik ihren Job vereinfachen könnte, interessant finden, würden 65 Prozent der Befragten Roboter an ihrem Arbeitsplatz begrüßen, wenn dies die Arbeitssicherheit erhöhen würde.

Die Idee zu BurgerBots stammt von der Unternehmerin Elizabeth Truong, die den Standort in Los Gatos als ersten Schritt zu einem breiteren kommerziellen Rollout sieht. „Die Imaginative and prescient battle es, Konsistenz, Transparenz und Effizienz in die Gastronomie zu bringen. Für Restaurantbesitzer bedeutet das einen besseren Einblick in die Lebensmittelkosten, genauere Prognosen und letztendlich eine bessere Entscheidungsfindung. Ich glaube, dass in den kommenden fünf Jahren die meisten Eating places über irgendeine Type der robotergestützten Automatisierung verfügen werden, sei es bei der Zubereitung im Again-of-Home-Bereich, der Zusammenstellung oder auch im Entrance-of-Home-Service. Es wird dann weniger eine Neuheit als vielmehr eine Notwendigkeit sein.“

BurgerBots ist die neueste in einer Reihe robotergestützter Innovationen für den Gastronomiebereich. Die Zusammenarbeit von ABB mit dem Unternehmen RoboEatz an der ARK – einer autonomen robotergestützten Küche, die in der Lage ist, Hunderte von Mahlzeiten mit minimalem menschlichem Eingriff zuzubereiten – demonstriert das Potenzial für eine hocheffiziente, hygienische und individualisierbare Essenszubereitung. Darüber hinaus unterstützt ABB das Unternehmen Makr Shakr bei der Realisierung von Barkeeper-Robotern, die schon bald in Lokalitäten rund um den Globus auf gekonnte Weise Getränke mixen werden. Diese Anwendungen sind nur zwei Beispiele dafür, wie die Robotik das Gastgewerbe dank Schnelligkeit und Konsistenz transformiert.

Die erste BurgerBots-Zelle ist mittlerweile in einem Restaurant in der Innenstadt von Los Gatos in Kalifornien in Betrieb. Weitere Informationen stehen unter www.burgerbots.com zur Verfügung.