Automated Shipboard Food Service

"An automated material handling system combined with a high-level system control will be designed for the DD-21 class ships. The system will allow for automated material handling technology to induct food commodities into a storage system, to retrieveon-demand items, to automatically move the items to the galley, to automatically prepare the items for serving, and to automate the handling and processing of utensils through the cleaning process in the scullery. When combined with the use of advancedfood preparation and packaging technology, this system will use automated material handling and robotic elements to move food items through the complete induction to usage cycle with minimal human intervention, and it will allow for real time inventorystatus and control status of each system element. The system will be designed not only for efficient operation, but also for robust operation considering not only the rigors of normal at-sea motion and environments, and also the need to function instressful combat and casualty modes that allow for continued galley operations under degraded situations. Such a system could be modeled for translation into existing ship classes, their upgrades, and for ashore facility designs where automated galleyefficiencies are desirable. Automating shipboard galleys in conjunction with the utilization of advanced food preparation technology will result in reduced labor for food service duty aboard ship, mor