Aramark invests in food service robot for health care facilities
A major hospitality services and concessions provider is partnering with two robotics manufacturers and a health care provider to help offer 24/7 dining services.
Aramark has strategically invested in RoboEatz Autonomous Robotic Kitchen (ARK) technology, with ABB Robotics and WellSpan Health, in an effort to provide customizable meals at any time, for any shift and any dietary need in WellSpan Health facilities.
ARK operates within a 400-square-foot footprint and uses a robot to retrieve ingredients from storage bins to prepare up to four personalized bowl-based meals at a time, drawing from a selection of up to 80 fresh ingredients.
Utilizing Aramark’s POS system, menu management capabilities and supply chain, ARK can manage end-to-end kitchen tasks including food storage, meal preparation, cleaning, and plating. The software is designed to peovide seamless integration and compliance with nutritional standards and food consistency.
In addition, the solution’s 24/7 availability is intended to ensure consistent access to meals beyond traditional dining hours for nurses, doctors, hospital staff, and visitors through mobile or kiosk ordering. The system requires minimal staffing and provides replenishment alerts via a mobile app to dining services personnel.
"We are impressed with the performance of this technology in our pilot testing and excited to begin offering it to our hospital partners," said Bart Kaericher, president and CEO of Aramark Healthcare+. "ARK is intended to complement our current workforce by streamlining operations and boosting efficiency and access, particularly for hospital staff during late night hours."
Aramark successfully piloted ARK in a controlled test environment at a large health care partner hospital and the the company says the pilot provided valuable insights into the technology’s efficiency, space requirements, and user experience.
This initiative is part of Aramark’s Hospitality IQ suite of technologies, an enterprise-wide digital ecosystem that utilizes intelligent technologies to enable smarter, faster decision-making across hospitality operations.
"Our investment in this autonomous kitchen technology reflects Aramark’s commitment to innovation that directly supports frontline healthcare workers," said Kaericher. "By combining robotics with our operational excellence, we’re delivering a scalable solution to meet the needs of those who work around the clock to care for others."
Aramark has also implemented automated and frictionless food service technology in various sports arenas where it has concessions contracts, including the Instacart Caper Counter artificial intelligence-based POS system at Fenway Park in Boston, turnkey Zippin Lane frictionless stores at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” grab-and-go shopping solution at UBS Arena in New York.
Meanwhile, Amazon has adapted its “Just Walk Out” cashierless checkout technology for use in hospitals and other health care centers. The updated version includes a new payment solution called "badge pay," which lets staff pay for food and beverages purchases by scanning their employee badge.
[READ MORE: Amazon expands cashierless checkout to hospitals — with a new feature]
