Will These 12 Robots Makes Chefs Obsolete?
Will These 12 Robots Makes Chefs Obsolete?
By Chandra Steele February 17, 2015
Robots roll rotis, serve up sushi, steam lattes, twirl
ramen, and even make pizza from scratch.
U.S. chain restaurants make it their business to create a
homey, familiar environment. Places like Applebee's, Cracker Barrel, and T.G.I.
Friday's are dedicated to making customers feel like they're eating at a
neighborhood institution rather than a replica of a place that can be found in
the next town over…and the town after that, and so on.
But in China, there's a restaurant movement that wants
diners to feel like they're having an interplanetary interaction as soon as
they walk in. "Earth person, hello!" a robot greeter says at Haohai
Robot Restaurant in Harbin, China. Diners are then seated at their table, place
an order with a robot waiter, have their food prepared by a robot chef, and
then pay as their (robot-cleared) dishes are being scrubbed by a robot
dishwasher.
Robots are also behind the scenes at Wishdoing in
Shanghai, preparing dishes like mapo tofu, Kung Pao chicken, and six other
Chinese specialties in under three minutes each. At noodle houses across China,
the laborious task of hand cutting noodles is carried out by Chef Cuis, the
robot creations of restaurateur Cui Runguan. And at the Dalu Robot Restaurant,
the entire wait staff is robotic.
These curious chefs de cuisine are now starting to get
jobs overseas. Google employs a 3D printer to custom create pasta for its
employees. PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel was behind the funding of a 3D printer
that in a few years will crank out replica steaks, hamburgers, and other
vegetarian-friendly beef made from protein. 3D printers may lack the presence
and personality of their chef counterparts, but their get-down-to-business
attitude might be what's needed to make the transition from hometown hangouts
to robot restaurants.
Take a food tour through the gallery to watch robots roll
rotis, serve up sushi, steam lattes, twirl ramen, and even make pizza from
scratch.
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