Abstract: A production cell includes: at least one robot arranged to handle products; at least one buffer area for intermediate storage of products inside the production cell; a vision system with cameras arranged to determine, based on images from the cameras, the identity and the location of objects in the production cell a plurality of production modules, each production module comprising at least one Hardware Module configured to process products; and a plurality of module attachment locations, each module attachment location being configured to connect with an interface section of a production module through at least a physical connection and a power connection.

Abstract: A method for supporting designing and operation of a robotic system includes operating a computer-based Inventory configured to operate in a robotic system having Hardware Modules to perform a task, the Inventory including Hardware Module Descriptions including a unique identifier, a description of physical characteristics, a current status and historical data the Hardware Module. The method including the steps of collecting status data of the Hardware Module; collecting operating data representing usage of the Hardware Module and updating the historical data accordingly; and at least one of the steps of scheduling maintenance actions to be performed on the Hardware Module; deriving or modifying, based on the operating data, historical data that is associated with a type of the Hardware Module.

Abstract: A production cell includes: at least one robot arranged to handle products; at least one buffer area for intermediate storage of products inside the production cell; a vision system with cameras arranged to determine, based on images from the cameras, the identity and the location of objects in the production cell a plurality of production modules, each production module comprising at least one Hardware Module configured to process products; and a plurality of module attachment locations, each module attachment location being configured to connect with an interface section of a production module through at least a physical connection and a power connection.

Abstract: A method for supporting designing and operation of a robotic system includes operating a computer-based Inventory configured to operate in a robotic system having Hardware Modules to perform a task, the Inventory including Hardware Module Descriptions including a unique identifier, a description of physical characteristics, a current status and historical data the Hardware Module. The method including the steps of collecting status data of the Hardware Module; collecting operating data representing usage of the Hardware Module and updating the historical data accordingly; and at least one of the steps of scheduling maintenance actions to be performed on the Hardware Module (3); deriving or modifying, based on the operating data, historical data that is associated with a type of the Hardware Module.

Abstract: A beverage-making machine for making a beverage from a portion capsule by introducing an extraction liquid into the portion capsule, having a housing, a capsule insertion opening, a closing unit, and a closing element. The housing has the capsule insertion opening, through which the portion capsule can be inserted into the capsule detection module, and the closing element is part of the closing unit. The closing element can be manually moved between an open position, in which the capsule insertion opening is accessible, and a closed position, in which the closing element closes the capsule insertion opening. The beverage-making machine has a capsule detection module which is designed to detect a capsule, which is introduced through the capsule insertion opening and which is located at a capsule detection position, using defined features. The beverage-making machine is designed to automatically trigger the capsule detection process after the closing element has assumed the closed position.

Abstract: A capsule for beverage preparations in a brewing machine, the capsule including a capsule container that is filled with an extraction product and has an essentially quadratic base, and a capsule cover that closes the capsule container. The capsule has at least one first optically readable code on the base of the capsule container, the code having a two-dimensional arrangement of several code elements, the first code being subdivided into a regular imaginary arrangement of code fields that are regrouped into at least pairs to form code groups, only one individual code field being provided within a code group with a code element. The invention also relates to a capsule and to an associated system including a brewing machine and to a method for identifying the type of capsule.

Abstract: A capsule for beverage preparations in a brewing machine, the capsule having a capsule container that is filled with an extraction product and has an essentially quadratic base, and a capsule cover that closes the capsule container. The capsule has at least one first optically readable code on the base of the capsule container, the code having a two-dimensional arrangement of several code elements, and at least one second optically readable on the base of the capsule container. The second code has a two-dimensional arrangement of several second code elements, which are arranged radially outside of the first code with respect to a center point of the first code. The invention also relates to a capsule and to an associated system including a brewing machine and to a method for identifying the type of capsule.

Abstract: A capsule for beverage preparations in a brewing machine, the capsule including a capsule container that is filled with an extraction product and has an essentially quadratic base, and a capsule cover that closes the capsule container. The capsule has at least one first optically readable code on the base of the capsule container, the code having a two-dimensional arrangement of several first code elements, which respectively contain information from which one of several possible orientations of the code on the plane of the base can be derived in a unique manner. The invention also relates to a capsule and to an associated system including a brewing machine and to a method for identifying the type of capsule.