BOSTON, Feb. 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dexai Robotics, a leading provider of intelligent robotics solutions for commercial kitchens, announced today that it has signed a $1.6 million contract with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to automate food services in multiple military installations around the country. Dexai was contracted to supply 10 “Alfred” sous-chefs – an automated food preparation robot designed to improve production and quality of operations, reduce food waste, and lower risks of viral and microbial transmissions.
The first Alfred robot started operation at the end of 2021 at the Monarch Dining Facility of Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, making Travis AFB the first Department of Defense entity to implement Alfred. The Monarch DFAC is open to all 7,300-plus active duty personnel assigned at Travis and serves an average of 950 customers per day. Monarch’s installation of Alfred is part of a pilot program that includes nine additional robots in different military dining facilities around the country. With Alfred, the U.S. Air Force hopes to reduce food waste, improve sanitation, and facilitate staffing requirements in their dining facilities. The Air Force and U.S. Space Force have expressed interest in using robotics in other operational functional areas under this industry program.
“We are very excited to be working with Dexai to test and integrate innovation and technology into our food and beverage operations. Our goal is to make our operations more efficient, safer, easier, and more sustainable,” said Air Force Food Services Center Food and Beverage Policy, Procedures and Strategic Initiatives Chief Jim Krueger. “In terms of functionality, ease of implementation, and flexibility, Alfred far surpassed anything else we saw on the market. The fact that it can be optimized to each facility’s unique needs was also a significant differentiator. We’re confident that this pilot program will be just the beginning of a long Air Force and U.S. Space Force career for Alfred. I can’t wait to see what other roles and ideas we can develop with the commercial industry under this program.”
Alfred utilizes artificial intelligence and computer vision to assess and adapt to its surroundings. Thanks to its ability to manipulate a variety of standard kitchen utensils, Alfred can be installed in any existing commercial kitchen and can prepare a wide variety of meals in a diversity of cuisines.
“Anyone who’s worked in the restaurant industry will tell you that no two kitchens are exactly alike,” said David Johnson, Dexai’s CEO and co-founder. “From the floor plan to the
food-making process, each commercial kitchen has a unique environment with unique needs. Alfred’s ability to recognize and adapt to those unique demands, wherever it’s rolled out, puts the robot in a league of its own.”
Dexai traces its origins to a collaboration between researchers from The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, MIT, and Harvard, and was founded in response to widespread labor shortages in the restaurant industry. As of November 2021, employment levels for restaurants and bars were down 6.1% from their pre-pandemic peak in February 2020. According to the National Restaurant Association, 78% of restaurant owners across the U.S. reported they don’t have enough employees to support current demand.
About Dexai Robotics
Founded in 2018 as a spin-out from The Charles Stark Draper Lab, Dexai is dedicated to developing market-ready, scalable robotics & AI solutions to address real-world needs. In response to the persistent labor shortages affecting the food service industry, Dexai’s co-founders, David Johnson and Anthony Tayoun, developed Alfred — the first and only intelligent, adaptable, food prep robot designed for use in any existing kitchen. Alfred utilizes cutting-edge AI and computer vision technologies to identify and manipulate a wide array of food items and kitchen utensils to prepare salads, bowls, and other meals without any alteration to a restaurant’s layout or recipes. Dexai recently raised an oversubscribed Seed Round led by Hyperplane Venture Capital. Rho Capital, Harlem Capital, Contour Venture Partners, and NextView Ventures also contributed to the financing round. Visit dexai.com to learn more about Alfred or join Dexai’s growing team.
Media Contact:
Caroline Statile
Scratch Marketing + Media for Dexai
Caroline@scratchmm.com
