cooKI
[a fictional future product]
Traditional induction hobs control energy output, but have no idea what is actually happening inside the pot. cooKI rethinks this relationship from the ground up. A sensory-equipped smart system reads the contents of the pot directly, regulates temperature with high precision, and communicates through a small physical dial attached to the cookware itself making cooking more intuitive without removing the cook from the process.
Team: Lea Dannenhauer, Moritz Nussbaumer, Moritz Schneidawind
Duration: 4 months
My role: Ideation, Concept, Research, Visual Design, 3D modeling, Manufacturing, Video
[IDEATION]
We started with an open search for problems and emerging technologies in the kitchen context. Several directions emerged quickly: new forms of interaction, the potential of inductive energy transfer, and the question of what information a cooking system should give its user and how.
Three focus areas crystallized: equipping existing cookware with more intelligence (inspired by the Thermomix model), enabling truly free-form inductive surfaces, and rethinking what a maximally intelligent yet minimally complex interface could look like.
[CONCEPT]
Traditional induction cooking measures energy output at the surface, it has no awareness of what is inside the pot. cooKI inverts this: a camera embedded in the pot identifies the ingredients and suggests matching cooking modes on the smart dial. A temperature sensor tracks the actual food temperature and enables the pot to regulate its own temperature.
Additionally, we were interested in discussing our idea with professionals in the first aid and healthcare sectors. We wanted to know if similar initiatives were already in progress, so we conducted interviews to gain valuable insights and feedback from these experts.
[Boil-over protection][AI cooking suggestions][In-pot camera][Food temperature sensor][THE PRODUCT]
[SMART DIAL]
A small physical dial that clips directly onto the pot and replaces abstract temperature numbers with legible cooking terms "simmer," "gentle boil," "sear." Familiar to use, but informed by real sensor data. Stores and charges wirelessly in a dedicated drawer when not in use.
[SENSOR UNIT]
An integrated camera identifies what is in the pot and maps it to suitable cooking profiles. A separate temperature sensor measures actual food warmth, not the hob surface. Enabling closed loop energy regulation and reliable boil-over prevention.
[INDUCTION HOB]
The hob becomes a purely spatial resource - no fixed knobs, no defined zones. It delivers energy inductively to both the pot and the Smart Dial itself.
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