During its participation in the "CEATEC 2026" technology exhibition held at Makuhari Messe in Japan, Rinnai unveiled a new cooking assistance system based on IoT and AI technologies. The system aims to transform traditional household cooking stoves from mere manually operated appliances into intelligent systems equipped with response and warning capabilities similar to automatic braking and autonomous driving technologies in automobiles.
Real-Time Analysis via 3D Cameras
The new system relies on a 3D camera mounted directly inside the kitchen range hood positioned above the stove. Equipped with AI image recognition technologies, this camera analyzes the cooking environment in real-time without the need to install multiple independent sensors on countertops or cookware.
Through its processing unit, the system monitors the user's hand movements, knob positions, cookware locations, and the size of the flame or heating power. Based on this real-time data, the AI can provide step-by-step cooking instructions, automatically adjust heat intensity to prevent food from burning, identify potential fire hazards, and reduce the chances of household accidents.
Enhanced Safety for Children and the Elderly
The system offers advanced customization options aimed at reducing the burden on families. Special cooking profiles tailored for children and the elderly can be set up to enable them to use the stove safely. For example, the AI recognizes when a child's hand approaches hot areas or open flames, issuing immediate warnings or intervening to mitigate the risk. It also monitors high oil temperatures to prevent fires before they occur.
Rinnai describes this development as a qualitative leap that moves kitchen appliances from the stage of "user-dependent operation" to the stage of "autonomous support and intervention," similar to active safety systems in modern transportation.
What Changes Practically?
This innovation alters the approach to kitchen safety by integrating computer vision into a single component already present in most kitchens—the range hood—thereby reducing installation complexity and hardware costs compared to deploying separate sensors. However, the company emphasizes that turning this technology into a widespread commercial product requires addressing practical environmental challenges, such as the impact of grease, steam, and high heat on camera lenses and sensors, alongside fostering comprehensive collaboration with kitchen equipment and appliance manufacturers to integrate the system with various types of stoves and range hoods.