Team Members & Role: 

Grisha Orlov: Team Lead

Justin De Four: Analysis Lead

Ryan Long: Design Lead

Michael Slate: Fabrication Lead

Arseniy Balkarov: Evaluation Lead

Abstract:

In this project, our group decided to tackle the issue of long sushi lines at cafeterias. We decided to approach this by designing a machine that is simple and compact enough to be implemented at virtually any mass-service food court, and yet, is a reliable, quick, and robust method to roll up the sushi. This is important because there is a very high demand for sushi, especially here at UMass and its dining halls. There are often long lines, and students often end up spending far too much time at the sushi line. While there are some solutions available in the market, they are not optimal for our target demographic. On one end, there are machines that are too cheap and small to roll a standard sized sushi roll. These are targeted mostly at the in-home market, and are not suitable for commercial use in any capacity. On the other end of the spectrum, there are extremely expensive, fully automated sushi making machines, but those are out of reach budget wise and space wise for a lot of smaller establishments, and our goal is to make a machine that can be used by low-medium scale establishments, or for sushi enthusiasts at home. To achieve this, we implemented a double sided sliding mechanism with a silicone mat to roll up the sushi once the ingredients are laid down into it.