Artificial intelligence (A.I.) technology continues to evolve in astonishing ways, being incorporated into every aspect of our lives. Until recently, A.I. was used primarily for English language learning and other areas of education in schools. Today, it has even made its way into school cafeterias to improve student health and A.I.d the environment by reducing carbon footprints.

Presently, this A.I. meal scanning technology is being used to reduce food waste in schools and daycare centers. The system scans students’ food trays to measure total consumption by comparing the before and after images. The scans reveal how much food is eaten and the students’ nutritional intake. School nutritionists can use data collected in this way to identify favorite foods, adjust portions and more.

The A.I.-based scanners also allow students to see the total amount of trash by giving them a real-time sense of how much food they waste.

Securing more than five million food datasets, the meal scanning technology could easily recognize food types and portion sizes. It also analyzes how much of each food is eaten by comparing students’ portions and leftovers. This data helps school nutritionists see which side dishes students eat and how much. The data helps provide insight into the popularity of meals and whether they need to change the way dishes are prepared or switch to different types of food if existing options prove unpopular.

A child uses a tray scanner to track his consumption. (Courtesy of Nuvilab)

This A.I. technology features visual recognition that identifies the food consumption habits of each student just by scanning the photos of their food trays before and after meals. In other words, the system is trA.I.ned to recognize servings by analyzing a large amount of food-related photographic data. This process allows the technology to recognize food through visual recognition, which, in turn, enables classification and detection. In the case of dubu (bean curd), the technology analyzes the size and volume before and after consumption to determine the remA.I.ning amount. This data is then utilized to determine preferences among the students.

In this way, the A.I. can quickly analyze each student’s meal intake and food choices within seconds. This is a great way to learn what students like and do not like when it comes to school meals.

Schools and daycare centers can adjust what is included in meals and the amount of food that needs to be prepared via A.I.-based data analysis. This has been shown to significantly reduce the amount of uneaten food. A significant portion of school budgets is lost to wasted food from school lunches, leading to tens of billions of won in economic losses on an annual basis.

In fact, 29 schools that have installed A.I. food scanners have seen a dramatic reduction in food waste. When comparing the amount of food waste before and after the scanners were installed, the schools saw reductions in food waste of up to 60 percent or more per year, with an average waste reduction ratio of 13 percent.

A student scans her food tray and compares the before and after images to measure how much she has eaten. (Courtesy of Nuvilab)

Students have responded positively to the new A.I. food reduction system: Since the introduction of meal scanners, they have been trying to reduce leftovers, which has led to natural improvements in their eating habits. Students who used to throw away uneaten food 

without a second thought are now trying to reduce such waste. They realize they can help protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, the meal scanners have helped spark interest and excitement in A.I. technology among students. It has been shown to have a significant effect in terms of educational motivation, environmental education and even giving students a sense of accomplishment.

A.I. analytics help to gauge portion sizes, leftovers and even how much food students should eat. This A.I.-based analysis is having an impact on reducing food waste in the long run. The technology is also allowing schools to participate in ESG (environmental, social and governance) management, which has become an important topic as of late.

In the case of older students, the A.I.-powered food scanning system can identify their faces and collect data on their food intake and waste. This data is then sent to their parents every month, which helps parents understand and improve their children's eating habits by, for instance, letting them know whether their children are picky eaters or not.

In addition, the food saved through this innovative technology is expected to help provide better quality food to socially vulnerable groups, such as the elderly who live alone. That is because the food saved by the system can be donated to these groups through food banks. In short, A.I. technology is contributing to changes in how we think about the environment and our health.

Meanwhile, the company that developed the A.I. food scanner has participated in the U.S. Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for two years in a row, with its displays receiving favorable reviews.