Rotimatic: The Worlds First Robot Roti Maker

There are three containers, which seal much like Tupperware: one for the dry-based ingredient (typically flour), another for water and the smallest for oil. The dry container can hold different kinds of dry baking ingredients, but nothing wet (no pancake mix!). The smallest container can hold virtually any kind of oil you choose, while the water container can accept other flavoring ingredients such as salt, sugar and cinnamon (the only requirement is that the ingredient dissolves in water).

All three containers slide into holes on top of the device; they all have an opening in the bottom to release each ingredient.

The device is easy to use, and plugs into a standard wall outlet. Once the ingredient containers are in place, and Rotimatic has heated to nearly 500 degrees Fahrenheit (which takes about 5 minutes), select the thickness, crispness and oil content you want on a small LCD screen that has four unmarked buttons below it; then, hit start, and the robot does the rest.

Rotimatic mixes the ingredients in an enclosed but see-through space, making a single ball of dough that will be flattened into one roti. This is notable since, as Nagarkar pointed out, most people making rotis at home will make a large batch of dough from which they’ll pull out and roll smaller balls. Rotimatic actually uses a patented process to build one perfect ball at a time. That process is also what allows Rotimatic to be much smaller than any other automated roti maker.

While the robot is making the ball, its sensors are hard at work to ensure it’s the right consistency. The first roti of a batch will usually take a bit longer because Rotimatic is actually calibrating. When the robot is happy with the dough's consistency, it will repeat the process for the next ball, quickly achieving its one-roti-per-minute benchmark. Thicker rotis can take a little longer to cook.

Once the rolling is done, Rotimatic pushes the ball into a chamber where it is flattened to a perfect 1.5-mm thick disc. A collection of position sensors measure the disc during compression to ensure that no area is thicker or thinner than any other.

Finally, the disc slips between two heated elements which, guided by more sensors, rapidly cook the roti until it puffs up like a pastry. As soon as it’s done, the roti slides out, ready to eat. The final product is, as advertised, a perfectly shaped and cooked roti that looks and tastes like it was made by expert hands.