Crown Digital is a Singapore-based IoT startup revolutionizing the coffee experience with its AI-driven robot barista, Ella. Its initial infrastructure was constrained by manual configuration demands, slower deployment speeds, and insufficient resources for managing high-frequency data transfers across multiple locations. The lack of flexibility and scalability needed to process Ella's real-time data hampered the company’s growth plans.

By leveraging Google Firebase, Crown Digital created a unified, serverless backend for managing kiosk operations to maintain low latency across regions. They used Google Cloud Storage to handle Ella’s vast data needs and maintain smooth, reliable access to operational and customer data across all locations. The new infrastructure minimized manual configurations, reduced deployment time, and gave the company the confidence to scale globally.

"We needed a platform that could support rapid scaling and global deployments with minimal manual effort. Google Cloud’s integrated environment made it possible for us to run more with less, allowing our lean team to operate efficiently across borders," says Norman Ng, the Head of Technology at Crown Digital.

The company adopted Vertex AI and Vision API to train Ella in visual recognition tasks, such as detecting cup cleanliness, lid presence, and fill levels, which are vital for a premium, contactless coffee experience. With its innovative use of robotics, computer vision and machine learning, Crown Digital has become a pioneer in smart retail and robotics.