Many exhibitors at the Consumer Electronics Show employ entertainers, actors, and music to draw attendees to check out their new technology products and services. Wilkinson Baking Company is bringing new tech to CES 2019 that promises to be entertaining in its own right.
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Wilkinson is set to unveil the Breadbot, a robotic, artisanal bread-making machine. CEO Randall Wilkinson says Breadbot is much more than a robot that pumps out loaves of bread. Bread making traditionally has had symbolic meaning and often an emotional aspect, and that’s what Breadbot elicits.
“Bread is a staple of American life. But in most supermarkets today, it has lost its emotional connection with the shopper,” said Wilkinson. “In the age of home delivery, the Breadbot attracts consumers back to the store because it delivers fresh, delicious bread that is produced with theater and engagement.”
The Breadbot isn’t a consumer device, the 22-square-foot base for sure won’t fit on your counter. The bread making machine creates up to 10 loaves of bread per hour from scratch and is destined for groceries and specialty shops.
Because most of Breadbot’s structure is transparent, Wilkinson expects CES attendees will be entranced watching the robotic mechanical components mix, form, proof, bake, and cool the bread.
The Breadbot can make bread from any recipe that starts with dry ingredients. The machine can make white, wheat, whole wheat, nine grain, sourdough, and honey oat bread, including organic varieties.
Bread making isn’t just about ingredients, cooking temperature, and time. Air temperature, humidity, and elevation all factor in the success of a perfectly cooked loaf. The Breadbot uses 20 sensors to monitor the baking process 100 times a second, according to the company, adjusting settings as needed.
The Breadbot starts with dry ingredients for up to 50 loaves of bread in a hopper. After the process starts, the first loaf of the day is ready to bag and sell as truly fresh-baked bread in 90 minutes. After that first loaf, new loaves exit the machine every six minutes. The maximum daily yield for a 24-hour day is 235 loaves, allow 30 minutes each day for self-cleaning with a human attendant assist.
Keep up with all the announcements and introductions at CES 2019 by following Digital Trends’ CES 2019 live coverage.
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