Robo Arete
Robo Arete utilizes Rainbow Robotics’ RB-N series, specialized for the F&B industry, to ensure safe and efficient chicken cooking.

Robo Arete is a food-tech robotics company with an R&D center in Seoul, South Korea. Its team specializes in collaborative cooking systems that seamlessly integrate human-robot interaction.
By automating repetitive or labor-intensive tasks, Robo Arete enhances flexibility and consistency in food preparation. The company operates a 660 m² flagship store, Robert Chicken, in Manhattan, New York. Here, their system ensures high-speed frying with reliable quality.
This store features Rainbow Robotics' RB-N series—the world’s first NSF-certified collaborative robot. Robo Arete’s robot system is also NSF-certified and prepares up to 150 Korean-style chickens per hour. It stands as a leading example of innovative “Made in Korea” food-tech.

The collaborative robot places battered chicken into the fryer and cooks it 

Automating the Chicken-Frying Process 

Since 2020, Robo Arete has been developing the Robotic Kitchen concept, seeking a flexible robotic solution that automates the transfer of battered chicken into the fryer and fries it in 175°C oil. Additionally, the robot needed to allow workers to access the cooking area without obstacles.

RB-N Series : Autonomous and Collaborative 

In collaboration with Rainbow Robotics, Robo Arete customized the RB-N series for frying environments with vapor and vibration. The robot shakes the basket to prevent sticking and drains oil—managing the frying process from start to finish.
It also powers a fully automated frying line that handles battering, frying, and seasoning. This enables high-quality cooking with minimal labor, combining robot precision with human service.
Additionally, Rainbow Robotics’ collaborative robots can safely operate in cooking environments with hazardous chemicals. With NSF certification, these robots ensure hygiene in commercial kitchens without the need for external covers or add-ons, making them easy to maintain.
Robo Arete assessed the local U.S. market and recognized that rising labor costs and tipping culture made cooking automation highly viable. The robotic kitchen was designed with workflow, kitchen layout, and sanitation in mind—enabling the robot to respond quickly and efficiently even during peak hours while maintaining consistent chicken quality and high customer satisfaction.

 

Ensuring Worker Safety with Collaborative Robot Engineering

The RB-N series used by Robo Arete is ideal for human-robot collaboration, offering high durability and human-safe materials. With an industry-leading IP66 rating among 6-axis collaborative robots, it withstands hot oil, high-pressure steam, and greasy environments.
Worker safety is a major reason for adopting collaborative robots. The RB-N series ensures safety through features like external collision detection, vibration sensing, and self-collision prevention systems.
This proves that automation and worker safety are not mutually exclusive. Rainbow Robotics’ collaborative robots have passed rigorous safety and durability tests by global certification body TÜV SÜD and have obtained Functional Safety certification.

The system provides a safe and efficient cooking environment where robots and humans work together.

“All Robert Chicken stores are equipped with collaborative robots that automate chicken frying. We also use safety laser scanners to ensure employee safety and employ AI-based cooking optimization to guarantee the best flavor. We offer an ideal solution to franchisees and HQs struggling with rising labor costs and workforce shortages.”

Jong-Won Kim is in charge of mechatronics systems development at Robo Arete. 

A Successful and Efficient Solution

The decision to adopt Rainbow Robotics’ RB-N series came from recognizing that only NSF-certified collaborative robots could be used in the North American market. These robots offered various built-in features without additional programming or costs.

Su Kyung Lee, manager of the U.S. branch overseeing the New York store opening, added:

 "Our team members were already familiar with the RB-N series through field development in Korea. We wanted to use the same robot frying automation system in a setup optimized for our store environment. The pre-certified robotic arm allowed for rapid installation and operation. The user-friendly native functions made the robots easy to use. The deployment of Rainbow Robotics’ NSF-certified products in the New York store project was highly successful and efficient."

Case Study

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