Fast food chain Red Rooster has made a bold leap into artificial intelligence (AI) technology with the development of crave_ware, an AI-powered wearable capable of detecting and responding to the wearer's hunger cues. In an effort to stand out against US fast food giants, this innovative solution, launched in partnership with creative technology agency whiteGREY, aims to put the customer's appetite directly in conversation with Red Rooster's menu.

The technology, named crave_ware, is an AI model embedded into a t-shirt. The device listens in real-time to the customer's stomach through an in-built listening apparatus which picks up and analyses tummy rumbles, or borborygmi. The AI model distinguishes these sounds from other bodily noises and then takes action by placing a customised meal order based on the intensity and duration of the stomach rumblings detected.

Jono Casley, Chief Technology Officer at whiteGREY, the creative agency behind this technology, explained the workings of the innovative system. "Enter crave_ware, a pre-trained AI model we've built into a t-shirt that actively listens to your stomach. When the software detects a stomach rumble, it creates an online order that can automatically be delivered to your location."

A critical piece of crave_ware is the Google TensorFlow-based audio classification model which utilises a convolutional neural network (CNN). The CNN model is programmed to recognise the unique characteristics present in hunger signals. Casley elaborated, "By exposing the CNN to approximately 80% of a diverse range of stomach rumble spectrograms, the algorithm has learned to identify hunger cues with remarkable precision. The remaining 20% of the data served as a rigorous testing methodology."

The technique used in training the AI model is called 'supervised learning'. This process aided the model in distinguishing other various bodily sounds from actual hunger signals. "When a hunger signal is detected, the smart-garment communicates with the subject's smartphone app and begins a cloud-based automation process to integrate with Red Rooster's ordering system to ensure a smooth delivery," concluded Casley.

Ashley Hughes, Marketing Director at Red Rooster, expressed excitement for this pioneering venture into real-time customer satisfaction. "By leveraging AI technology, we've created a CX solution that not only understands hunger cues but also takes the initiative to place orders on behalf of the consumer. It's a seamless, innovative approach to satisfying Australia’s chicken cravings in real time".

The crave_ware solution is an inventive stride toward integrating AI technology and convenience, and it reflects a significant departure from traditional fast food marketing techniques. Not only does it highlight the advances and potential of AI but also draws attention to one company's clever response to the pressures of competing in a market dominated by fast food giants.