‘Cooking robot’ personalises in-flight dining

Weigele Aerospace has come up with an “industry 4.0 oven” named the Airborne Cooking Robot. The company’s owner, Uwe Dieter Weigele, told us more about it.

The on-board ovens which…


Weigele Aerospace has come up with an “industry 4.0 oven” named the Airborne Cooking Robot. The company’s owner, Uwe Dieter Weigele, told us more about it.

The on-board ovens which airlines typically use can result in some meals being hotter than others, depending on their location in the oven.  In addition, cabin crew can usually only select one temperature throughout the oven, and they also have to heat the whole oven even if they are only cooking a few trays.

Weigele Aerospace has come up with an “industry 4.0 oven” named the Airborne Cooking Robot to tackle these issues.

The oven provides ‘multi-channel energy transmission’ into the food racks, meaning each course gets its own treatment and food can be prepared with adjustable parameters such as temperature, time etc. A steak could be cooked for a short time at a high temperature and the accompanying potatoes could be cooked for longer at a lower heat in the same rack, for example.

Personalisation

“For every course of every meal we have the perfect treatment,” Weigele said.

He added that the oven also offers “respect for the culture of the passenger” through greater personalisation – for example, if passengers want a vegetarian or carb-free meal, this is easier to accommodate and cook well.

The stove can be used on aircraft today, Weigele says.

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