CUBIK Studio provides airlines with a camera‑based AI system that automatically photographs returned meal trays to identify exactly what was eaten and what was wasted, down to individual items and portion percentages. The compact device mounts in standard catering trolleys, processes images locally without internet, and delivers actionable waste data to reduce costs and landfill impact while requiring no extra crew effort.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Airlines can measure total food waste but lack detailed insight into which specific menu items are discarded, preventing precise cost control and menu optimization. Without item-level data, airlines over‑order meals, leading to unnecessary waste and higher catering expenses.
Solution
CUBIK Studio offers a compact, camera‑based AI device that mounts inside standard catering trolleys and automatically photographs each returned meal tray. The on‑device computer‑vision system identifies each food item and quantifies remaining portions (e.g., “yogurt: 40% remaining”) without requiring crew interaction or internet connectivity during flight. Aggregated waste data are later uploaded to a cloud analytics dashboard, giving airlines granular visibility into consumption patterns, enabling more accurate catering forecasts, cost reductions, and lower food waste. The solution is privacy‑by‑design, processing images locally and never capturing passenger faces.
Target Audience
Primary customers are commercial airlines operating fleets of 100 or more aircraft that manage in‑flight catering and seek to reduce waste and catering costs.
Features
- Tablet‑sized hardware that fits into existing catering trolleys and operates autonomously during flights
- On‑device AI image recognition that classifies food items, liquids, packaging, and leftover portions with >95% accuracy
- Real‑time tray scanning with no manual sorting or crew input required
- Secure local processing ensures no facial or personally identifiable data is captured
- Cloud‑based analytics dashboard delivering aggregated waste statistics and trend reports for menu planning
- Compatibility with standard airline catering workflows and equipment