Room by room, appliance by appliance, it’s clearer than ever that our homes are becoming increasingly smarter. Ranging from talking fridges to embedded utensils, one area in particular experiencing an emergence of connected devices is the kitchen. In an effort to make cooking simple, social and fun for everyone, Palo Alto-based startup SectorQube has introduced the latest intelligent machine: the MAID Oven.
Powered by an Atmel ATmega32L, the MAID (Make All Incredible Dishes) Oven is an all-in-one device that can learn your eating habits, like daily caloric intake, and then suggest new recipes for you based on its pre-programmed optimization algorithms — which are driven by an ARM processor. The appliance functions as a microwave, convection oven and top-heater, meaning that it can whip up anything from a bag of popcorn or Eggo waffles to a birthday cake for a family celebration.
MAID boasts touch, voice and gesture controls, as well as 6-inch capacitive touchscreen. However, for those times your hands are messy, wet or simply full, just tell MAID what to do next via voice commands or gestures.
With its Internet connectivity, a user can access countless crowdsourced recipes from chefs and cooking enthusiasts from across the world. Not sure what you feel like for dinner? You can search for recipes based on a variety of ingredients, type of dish or just ask MAID to recommend a dish.
MAID can even improve a recipe you cook over and over again, in order for the end product to better suit your taste. As its creators note, every time, temperature and ingredient quantity adjustment you make to suit your taste is recorded and then added as input to the optimization algorithm.
For those on a diet and/or monitoring food intake, the smart device can track your calorie requirements, cooking habits and daily activities all from your phone and smartwatch, thereby playing the role of a personal dietician recommending a healthy balanced diet for you.
“The MAID app is an integral part of the MAID ecosystem. The app shows notifications when the dish is ready. Also, MAID app has activity tracking feature that tracks what the user is doing. It helps MAID to calculate how much calories has the user burnt and then based on that, suggest a healthy diet for the user. MAID app can be used to remotely operate MAID – preheat MAID for cooking, create a recipe from MAID app and cook from MAID oven and more,” a company rep writes.
Think this smart appliance would be the perfect addition to your kitchen? Recently launched on Kickstarter, MAID Oven is currently seeking $50,000. Pending all goes well, the SectorQube team hopes its backers will be able to enjoy some delicious holiday dishes come late 2015.
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