The design of intelligent cookware

This thesis investigates the opportunity of teaching people how to cook by analyzing the ingredients' chemical content as they are using them, and the consequent creation of a specific class of context-aware cookware that aids its users. An inquisition on the chemical content of different food and the appropriate electronics for measuring it was done. An instrument, with embedded sensors and intelligence and in the form of a spatula, was created base on the result of the research, and tested to be able to measure salinity, acidity, temperature, and consistency. This tool was used to demonstrate that several ingredients could be measured easily, and recipes as varied as pickles and pancakes could be improved. The work demonstrates the possibility of having intelligence in the kitchen, and examines the pedagogical value of intelligent tools when they are capable of collaborating with and guiding its user. The research also inquires into the field of ubiquitous computing, in which sensors are placed in ordinary objects, and to assess its impact in a domestic environment.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Cheng, Mansim Connie, 1979-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Ted J. Selker.

• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/27092

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/27092