Gesture-Controlled Automated Kitchen Utensil Carousel

Project Introduction

Contactless automated kitchen utensil carousel to reduce food cross-contamenation while cooking.

Project Summary

The motorized kitchen utensil carousel is a convenient countertop kitchen appliance designed to store and make utensils more accessible to the user. Its primary structure is reminiscent of a lazy susan, but with motorization for controlled rotation. It features two ways for users to control the rotation of the carousel. One way is through the use of hand gestures that indicate to the controller whether to rotate left or right. The second way is through a wireless controller that has buttons that indicate whether to rotate left or right.

Frequently, while cooking, individuals find themselves in the situation of having to retrieve a particular kitchen tool from a drawer or holder. However, they prefer not to sort through kitchen tools while they are attending to food on the stove and their hands are dirty. This is especially an issue with food safety while handling meat as a lot of cross contamination can occur. Those who have motor disabilities, have even more difficulty with this aspect of cooking. Our project creates a hassle free cooking experience, by making kitchen tools more accessible on the go through its rotation feature controlled by a simple wireless controller. The LED also indicates to the user when it is safe to grab their tool.