An Intelligent Microwave Oven with Thermal Imaging and Temperature Recommendation Using Deep Learning

Abstract

Whenever food in a microwave oven is heated, the user estimates the time to heat. This estimation can be incorrect, leading the food to be too hot or still cold. In this research, an intelligent microwave oven is designed. After the food is put into the microwave oven and the door is closed, it captures the image of the food, classifies the image and then suggests the food’s target temperature by learning from previous experiences, so the user does not have to recall the target food temperature each time the same food is warmed. The temperature of the food is measured using a thermal camera. The proposed microwave incorporates a display to show a real-time colored thermal image of the food. The microwave automatically stops the heating when the temperature of the food hits the target temperature using closed-loop control. The deep learning-based image classifier gradually learns the type of foods that are consumed in that household and becomes smarter in temperature recommendation. The system can classify and recommend target temperature with 93% accuracy. A prototype is developed using a microcontroller-based system and successfully tested.