What if one bought uninterested in cooking or bland takeout? A cooking robotic got here to the rescue, which even needed to move the ‘Mother’ check. Yatin Varachhia from NOSH tells EFY’s Nidhi Agarwal how this Bengaluru startup is redefining home-style meals with good automation.
Q. What does your organization do?
A. The corporate centered on constructing robots that make wholesome, personalised meals. We started with the belief that many within the youthful era, together with millennials and Gen Z, don’t get pleasure from cooking and infrequently depend on fast or take-out meals, which isn’t at all times wholesome. The concept got here from our personal problem as a working couple in Bengaluru, struggling to discover a cook dinner who might match our style. After talking with many others in cities and overseas, we realised this can be a widespread downside—individuals usually compromise on their meals. We purpose to resolve this by automating kitchen duties, permitting anybody to get pleasure from recent, home-style meals anytime, anyplace.
Q. How did the title NOSH come up?
A. We first named the corporate Euphotic Labs as a result of we wished to create happiness via automation. However many individuals discovered the title onerous to recollect. Later, a pal instructed the title NOSH, which implies ‘nobody sleeps hungry’. We favored it immediately as a result of it matched our aim.
Q: What sort of meals can your product cook dinner, and how briskly is it in comparison with conventional cooking?
A: It might cook dinner something normally made in a pan, pot, or cooker—like sabji, curry, rice, biryani, halwa, soups, and extra. So long as it’s a one-pot dish, the robotic can deal with it. It follows the identical cooking course of you’d use at house, so the cooking time is comparable. We didn’t velocity it up artificially as a result of we wished to keep up the style and authenticity. The robotic simply automates the steps for you.
Q. What had been the primary design challenges in automating such a multi-step course of?
A. Our first large problem was getting the style proper. That was our most important focus within the first 12 months. We needed to design and construct spice and ingredient dispensers that would deal with a variety of meals gadgets, together with spices, herbs, greens, meat, sauces, and extra. Then we needed to remedy the issue of cooking itself. Human fingers can transfer in some ways, however robots can not, so making a robotic that may stir and cook dinner correctly with only one or two motors was troublesome. After that, we needed to make the entire system sufficiently small to suit into a daily kitchen, like the dimensions of a microwave. We additionally needed to make it dependable for every day use and simple to wash, utilizing food-safe supplies and a design that stops meals from getting caught in hard-to-clean locations.
We determined to maintain the method precisely like how a human would cook dinner. The aim was that folks shouldn’t be capable of inform if the meals was made by a machine or by hand. We had been so severe about this that we mentioned if the meals doesn’t style good, we won’t launch the product in any respect.
Aside from the tech aspect, constructing a {hardware} firm got here with its personal set of issues. It’s tougher to boost cash for {hardware} than for software program. Good {hardware} engineers are additionally onerous to seek out. On high of that, getting components made in India was not simple. Distributors and suppliers usually don’t comply with timelines or preserve constant high quality. So we’ve got needed to remedy each engineering and enterprise challenges alongside the way in which.
Q. Do you’ve gotten an in-house design group, or do you supply all the pieces externally?
A. Our problem is completely different from what others face as a result of we needed to construct a system from scratch. Most of our components are custom-made. Despite the fact that we’re fixing a brand new downside, we’ve got at all times had one key thought: don’t reinvent what already works. For instance, we didn’t attempt to make our personal energy provide; we purchased a confirmed one. The concept is to make use of ready-made, examined components wherever doable, and solely create {custom} options the place it provides worth for the shopper.
Q. How do you remedy issues and enhance your design?
A. We enhance our design step-by-step, ranging from scratch with many concepts. Having a transparent plan helps us make choices. Brainstorming offers us good options, however the secret’s constructing and testing prototypes rapidly. As an alternative of limitless discussions, we concentrate on constructing. If it really works, nice; if not, we attempt once more. That’s our method—simply maintain constructing.
Q. Constructing {hardware} may be pricey. How did you handle the associated fee in your prototype?
A. Prototyping is dear, however we had been fortunate to get authorities grants of ₹12.5 million in whole that coated it. We had limits on hiring, not on constructing. So we centered on testing small components as a substitute of full merchandise. For instance, to check a brand new shelling out technique, we’d construct a easy setup, not the entire product. We used 3D printing and DIY instruments to check rapidly and cheaply. Our method was easy: outline the issue clearly, check solely what issues, and maintain bettering step-by-step.
Q. What challenges did you face when transitioning from prototyping to mass manufacturing?
A. The group has grown to 40 individuals, together with manufacturing, high quality, buyer help, service, software program, machine studying, synthetic intelligence (AI), mechanical, electronics, and design verification groups, together with a enterprise group for gross sales, advertising and marketing, operations, and human assets (HR). Shifting from prototyping to mass manufacturing was an enormous problem. We initially thought that creating an awesome design would make manufacturing quick, however that was not the case. We confronted many challenges as a result of we underestimated manufacturing and didn’t put in sufficient effort to organize for it.
Q. How does electronics play a job in it?
A. Electronics are the core of our robotic—they management all of the motors and sensors. A digicam watches the pan, and edge AI checks if the onions are caramelised, the curry has launched oil, or the rice is cooked proper. The mechanical components transfer via motors, that are managed by the electronics. We use round eight completely different printed circuit boards (PCBs) for sensors, motor management, and the AI unit. All the pieces works collectively via electronics to make the cooking occur.
Q. How do AI and sensors work collectively in your cooking robotic?
A. The robotic makes use of a number of good sensors and AI to make sure good cooking. A digicam watches the pan, a thermal sensor checks warmth, and a torque sensor gauges the thickness of gravies. AI makes use of this enter to find out when onions are golden brown, oil has separated from the curry, or rice is cooked correctly. It additionally adjusts primarily based on ingredient variation, like dimension or ripeness of tomatoes. All of this runs domestically, so cooking continues even when Wi-Fi goes out.
Q. How would you copy the way in which a human hand steers?
A. We use a easy rotating movement as a result of motors are finest at that. The problem was to design a spatula that would mimic human stirring, bringing meals from the underside to the highest and mixing all the pieces evenly. Since substances range in dimension, from large items like hen to advantageous ones like rawa, we had to verify the identical movement works for all. After many design iterations, we created an answer that handles all varieties of mixing utilizing only one good rotary movement.
Q. What are the most important integration challenges?
A. When completely different groups or methods work collectively, the primary problem is usually the unclear interface between them, resulting in confusion and blame. The problem is normally not with a group, however with the interface not masking all situations. Connecting cloud to cell or cloud to machine is easy, however issues come up between the machine and motor controller, the place syncing and a {custom} protocol create extra complexity.
Q. How do you deal with manufacturing and IP safety, and are you planning to construct your individual manufacturing facility?
A. We’re at the moment counting on contract manufacturing, which works effectively as a result of consultants deal with manufacturing and labour, that are powerful areas for a tech firm. An excellent contract producer has robust mental property (IP) safety and clear agreements. We additionally cut up obligations—some components we management, others they deal with. For now, we aren’t planning our personal manufacturing facility, but when quantity grows past what contract producers can deal with, we are going to rethink.
Q. Who handles sourcing the parts, you or the producer?
A. We have now a provide chain group that gives trusted suppliers to the contract producer. The contract producer should get components from these suppliers, although they’ve some freedom to decide on companions. Nonetheless, for many components, they need to use the suppliers we offer.
Q. How does your inner group deal with product testing?
A. We have now many exams for every a part of the design to verify it really works. For instance, we do 5000 cycles of testing, which is a primary requirement. Any design modifications should undergo these 5000 cycles to construct belief. We additionally check for vibration by following highway and ship cargo requirements. We do drop exams and environmental exams to test the product’s sturdiness over time, testing all the pieces to verify it’s proper.
Q. What number of models have you ever offered, and might you share the income?
A. We have now offered 600 models to date, and have delivered 130 of them. The remaining 500 models are nonetheless in course of, some are with logistics, and a few are on the manufacturing line. We began in Bengaluru in August 2023 and waited for early suggestions, which took about 6 months. Up to now, we’ve got acquired round ₹30 million from clients, although we’ve got not booked the income but.
Q. Do you’ve gotten opponents, and the way do you stand out from them?
A. Nimbal Lab is one in every of our opponents. Many are engaged on this, however solely us and Nimbal Lab have reached the manufacturing stage. Our design stands out with entrance entry and a closed chamber, permitting you to command it to cook dinner and stroll away confidently. It might simply slot in a cupboard, making placement easy along with your inside designer. We additionally designed it so even a 6-year-old can cook dinner, with hidden gears and mechanisms for security and ease. These design options set us aside.
Q. What are your greatest challenges as a startup and your focus going ahead?
A. Our greatest problem now could be creating the market. Since it’s a new product in a brand new class, adoption is sluggish, and we’re centered on constructing that. We’re additionally investing in advertising and marketing, gross sales, bettering future merchandise, and optimising the provision chain. The true query is not only whether or not we’ve got constructed an awesome product—however whether or not we are able to construct an awesome marketplace for it. That’s our key focus.
Q. Are you trying so as to add new companions or distributors?
A. We’ll construct it up slowly. Proper now, we’re centered on end-to-consumer (E2C) as a result of we first must discover ways to promote it. As soon as we determine that out, we are able to let others assist. Our plan is to begin with Amazon after which transfer to retail companions or distributors. For now, the product is just accessible on-line, on our web site and Amazon.
Q. Are you trying to accomplice with academia to spice up innovation?
A. I’m from Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the place we’ve got a robust connection and work effectively collectively. We’re additionally constructing a relationship with the Indian Institute of Know-how (IIT) Madras and have a very good partnership with the Sardar Patel Institute of Know-how (SP and IT) in Surat. Collaborating with establishments actually helps, particularly for a deep-tech firm like ours.
