Design of information and automation system for integrated restaurant based on shared-space technology

Abstract

Diverse restaurant targeted automation systems are on the market and widely used in ordering and financial management areas. But usages of system are confined to specific areas with convenience of customer and interrelation of diverse systems overlooked. To develop integrating architecture for diverse restaurant automation systems, studies on the structure of hardware and software of service components in the restaurant were carried out. A scale model of Korean restaurant (20:1, table : 25, chair : 106) to serve two meals was built and used as a target restaurant, which provided kitchen, counter desk, table manager, child-care, shopping, serving and music services including customer and manager services. Automation system was constructed with PC, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and microcontroller together with network system. The operation programs of the restaurant were developed using Java language based on five methodologies; hierarchical clustering approach, actor-agent / space-mediator model, RMI based asynchronous communication, Jini-based plug-and-play architecture, and leasing model for regulating access. The major automated restaurant components included auto-guiding system from reception desk to guest-table, PDA based ordering and amusement system, and robot serving system. Communication network architecture was implemented using Shared-Space technology, and proposed architecture provided flexibility, scalability and adaptability to the system. Nine operation programs were developed to execute high-speed service through wired and wireless communication network: PDA program for customer and manager, microcontroller program for auto-guiding, and PC program for serving-robot, child-care, music, kitchen, shopping and counter-desk. Developed restaurant automation system was tested through simulation. One of the verified functions among the available services was table service technology. The table services made available on the screen of PDA from the selection and order of meal to other service area such as child-care, shopping and amusement.