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Re:Caterpillar offers phone with built-in FLIR camera by TeMPOraL on Wednesday December 07, 2022 @04:48AM (#33892493)
> As soon as you have more liquid in the pot you won't be able to control the temperature by measuring the temp at the bottom.

That sounds like an interesting engineering challenge! Assuming we have a stove with a fast-acting heat source (e.g. induction) and high-frequency thermometer (> 1 Hz), what can we learn about the contents of the pot/pan?

I'm thinking: dump a set amount of energy into the pan (say, 0.5 seconds at "power boost" level), then watch the thermometer. Do it several times, with varying pulse lengths (say, 0.1 to 1 second - you don't want to burn anything on the pan, nor wait too long for it to cool down). This should give you a good idea of the pan's step and impulse response, and - I think - you could guesstimate what its contents are - particularly, if there are any liquids in it, and what they are. Then, continue with normal cooking, but keep a continuous record of power output vs. temperature measurement, and possibly occasionally pause and do a round of such pulse tests again.

I see no obvious reason this wouldn't give a stove quite good control authority even in the presence of liquids, including those that are added or naturally seep out during cooking. I also don't expect any of the appliance companies to ever include this level of sophistication in their products.

Re:Caterpillar offers phone with built-in FLIR camera by zejn on Wednesday December 07, 2022 @10:42AM (#33895620)
Actually, I have a portable induction stove that I can set the temperature and it kind of works exactly the way you described it.