Smart Living Products
ISDN2001/2002: Second Year Design Project
Ratatouille
Problem Statement
How might we help cooking newbies to learn, cook and master a dish in a more organised and effortless manner in their own small private home kitchen?
Our Product
Meet Ratatouille — your ultimate, hands-free smart cooking companion! Specifically built for compact kitchens, this revolutionary assistant mounts effortlessly at cupboard height, leaving your countertops completely clutter-free. Just place your raw ingredients on the smart chopping board, and Ratatouille’s cutting-edge AI instantly scans them to generate a delicious, customized recipe tailored to what you have. No messy screens, no awkward AR glasses — just smooth, real-time voice interaction paired with precise visual steps projected directly onto your workspace. It’s like having a world-class chef standing right beside you, guiding your every move. Upgrade your kitchen and master cooking today with Ratatouille!
Demonstration Video
Key Features
Customized AI-generated Recipe
Based on the ingredients detected on the worktop and the information given by user, the AI guide can generate the best fit recipe for user's situation.
Audio Guidance and Interactions
Provide instructions and feedback on the user cooking performance in real-time through hands-free audio interactions
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Laser Guidance
Complementing the audio instructions to give clear guidance both aurally and visually.
How does Ratatouille work?
Gather ingredients to the worktop.
AI detects and records ingredients placed on the worktop.
Ask AI to generate the recipe of the dish user requested
Step-by-step audio and visual guides for users to follow.
Have fun in cooking and enjoy the dish!
System Diagram
Business Model
Value Proposition
A non-wearable, hands-free active cooking assistant that uses real-time laser projection and AI to guide novices through customized recipes in compact spaces.
Target Audience
Cooking beginners, university students in dormitories, young professionals living alone, and individuals with small home kitchens.
Cost Structure
1. Hardware Sales:
Direct-to-consumer (D2C) one-time purchase of the Ratatouille hardware ecosystem (mount, projector, camera setup, smart chopping board).
2. Premium Subscription (Software):
A freemium app model. Basic AI recipes are free; premium tiers unlock advanced dietary customization, meal prep scheduling, and exclusive masterclass recipes.
3. B2B Leasing/Sales:
Bulk contracts with university halls, co-living spaces, and smart-apartment developers.
Revenue Streams
1.R&D:
Hardware iteration (microcontrollers, laser projection arrays), AI model training, and computer vision API costs.
2.Operations:
Manufacturing, supply chain logistics, and cloud server hosting.
3.Customer Acquisition:
Marketing, university partnerships, and promotional cooking events.
Key Partners
University housing authorities, grocery delivery services (for seamless ingredient integration), and smart home ecosystem developers.
Channels
D2C e-commerce website, tech/home appliance pop-up experiences, and direct B2B sales pipelines to housing institutions.
Future Plan
Further Prototyping
(Now)
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Integrate the laser projection into the main system.
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Iterate and refine the User Interface (UI).
Initial User Testing
(After System Integration)
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Conduct testing with 10 potential users in university halls or at home.
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Collect user feedback to drive further product iterations.
Market Testing
(Product Maturity)
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Collaborate with university halls to deploy Ratatouille in common kitchens.
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Launch a cooking challenge to collect broader user feedback.
Fundraising
(Proving Market Potential)
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Seek investments, grants, and strategic partnerships.
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Target organizations specifically interested in smart kitchen or home applications.
