Coffee AI — Can AI Shake Up The World Of Coffee?

Coffee AI is already shaking up the world of coffee, but chances are, the advancements are a bit different than what you imagine. Coffee has been around since at least the 15th century, but its true origins are unknown.

Pure, delicious coffee beans are cultivated worldwide, and as enthusiasts will agree, there’s no room for artificial flavors. What there is room for with AI coffee is forecasting to ensure that growers can:

• Invest better
• Produce greater yields
• Enjoy larger harvests

AI is Helping Coffee Growers Beat the Odds

Farming always comes with risks. Drier seasons, poor soil quality and even disease can spread to plants and impact coffee yields. AI is being used for soil analysis that involves:

• Small amount of water
• Small soil sample

AI can be used to mix the soil and better understand the breakdown of chloride, magnesium, nitrates, acidity and more. Soil composition can lead to exceptional or poor growth, and being able to analyze it prior to planting helps farmers make smarter decisions when planting.

Farmers can also use this analysis to:

• Understand changing soil composition
• Plan future growing areas
• Recondition soil that may be losing nutrients

Coffee shops worldwide will receive beans that are “helped” with AI, but they’re not being grown with the technology just yet.

From a farming perspective, researchers are also trying to pinpoint one of the key issues that farmers face when growing anything: disease. Scientists in Brazil are training AI to recognize:

• Disease
• Fungus
• Pests

Coffee production falls by as much as 45% due to disease and it’s very difficult to treat with any high level of efficacy. Machines are being outfitted with visual receptors that can recognize the disease based on plant leaf visuals.

Prediction models are also being created to help predict which plants may succumb to disease. Planting recommendations may also be provided, such as spacing out the plants with the highest risk of disease to prevent the spread if the disease does materialize.

A lot of production value is lost annually, up to 45%, just due to plants that are diseased. In the coffee industry, coffee leaf rust is a major concern and one of the biggest drivers of harvest loss.

Since the 1860s, producers have struggled with this disease and to stop its spreading.

Farmers investing in coffee crops can benefit from predictive analysis that reduces their risk and helps ensure a healthy crop.

AI is working behind the scenes to boost farming production and improve the quality of beans produced. However, artificial intelligence is also leading to an AI coffee machine that helps human roasters reduce labor and enhance roasting consistency.

AI in Coffee Roasting

Flavor profiles are crucial to high-quality coffee because drinkers want to have a delicious cup of coffee that has the right highs and lows. Intelligent roasting incorporates multiple elements to monitor the roasting process, including:

• Temperature
• Roast duration
• Airflow

All elements of the roasting process are systematically monitored and adjusted to provide consistent roasting in all environments and conditions. Sensors will evaluate the beans and help ensure that the flavor profile is as accurate as possible each and every time.

When coffee is ground, AI is being used to better understand the consistency of the ground, too.

Everything professional roasters have been focusing on for centuries is being helped in some form by artificial intelligence. If there are defects in the roasting or grounding process, AI can provide insights and recommendations, taking much of the guesswork out of coffee production.

Robot Baristas Coming to an AI Coffee Shop Near You

Artly is on a mission to offer championship coffee to the world with barista bots that know how to use the coffee-making equipment that humans use when brewing coffee. Bots from Artly are “smart,” knowing how to:

• Detect anomalies
• Avoid obstacles
• Plan paths
• Reason

Baristas and coffee shop owners are able to set “imitation” mode and have the bot learn new tricks or perform new actions.

Visual inspections are performed using a deep learning method that monitors drink quality from start to finish. Patrons will enjoy a near-perfect cup of coffee every time, thanks to a robust learning algorithm.

Botbar in Brooklyn is the first in New York City to begin using robot baristas. The trend is thanks to a robot that can dance and perform tasks that are eerily similar to a human. Bots can produce up to 50 espresso drinks in a single hour.

Owners state that humans can be “unpredictable,” but with the Botbar, you’ll have a consistent drink that is the same each and every time. ADAM, the bot, has a compact build and will sit right on the counter.

However, coffee isn’t the only drink that this neat robot can produce.

Cappuccinos, a range of different specialty coffees and even bubble tea can be made with the smart bot. Reviews of the bar and the robot state that it won’t replace baristas just yet. The bot seemed to have an error that humans have to resolve when making espresso, so it’s not 100% automated at this point.

Guests leaving reviews on Google state that the bot is a little bit of a “gimmick.” Some say that the espresso ADAM makes is good, while others state that it isn’t the best. We expect to see more companies develop their own artificial intelligence baristas that may even outpace ADAM and his dancing skills.

Coffee AI will help shape the growth of coffee plants, aid in profiling, roasting and even the brewing process. Researchers are just starting to dive into the possibilities of what AI can do and are training new algorithms to help identify everything from disease to soil conditions.

Even in customer support and ordering, we’re seeing artificial intelligence enter the industry in new, exciting ways.

Soon, when you go to the coffee shop, you’ll find that AI was used in some or all forms of the production, roasting and brewing process.

Would you go to a coffee shop with an AI barista? It may be an option near you soon.

Source: https://mcdonaldpaper.com/blog/coffee-ai-shake-world-coffee