ABB YuMi Coffee Robot | Conference Engagement

Designed and deployed an ABB YuMi collaborative robot to autonomously serve coffee at industry conferences as a live, interactive demonstration of process automation capabilities. What started as a brainstorming exercise to stand out on a busy conference floor turned into a fully automated system that combined robotics, HMI design, and workflow automation, while giving attendees something they actually wanted: coffee. The project was student-led, with oversight and direction to ensure real-world automation principles, reliability, and professional execution.

Traditional conference booths rely heavily on staff availability and passive demonstrations, limiting meaningful engagement and networking opportunities. We needed a solution that would actively attract attendees, demonstrate applied automation in a tangible way, and reduce the need for constant booth staffing, all while operating safely and reliably in a public environment.

Conceptualized the idea of a robot coffee server to create direct, memorable interaction with attendees. Led a team of students through the full design and implementation process, including robot programming, system integration, and user interaction design. Implemented a local Ignition instance on a tablet as an HMI for coffee pod selection, showcasing real-world industrial software in a simple, intuitive interface. Prioritized end-to-end automation to minimize manual intervention, allowing staff to focus on higher-value conversations and networking with industry partners.