The robot that could replace Chinese chefs
Tired of shaking that heavy wok to make your stir fry? Let a machine called Robo-Chef prepare that Chinese dish for you
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
The video: For those who aren't up to speed on making lo mein, a new robot can help. Robo-Chef, a $10,900 machine from Japanese company MIK, can automatically cook up dishes like fried rice and stir-fried vegetables. Just toss in the ingredients and Robo-Chef stirs and mixes them in the wok, so there's no need to shake the heavy pan yourself. (See a video below.) MIK says its device makes it possible for anyone to "cook Chinese cuisine with no training."
The reaction: This is godsend for "those who love Chinese food, but hate paying take-out prices," says TechWorld. Though in a way, Robo-Chef just speeds our descent into a strange sort of irrelevancy, says Paula Forbes at Eater. "Do we even need humans to have a successful restaurant any more?" Watch a video of the magic wok:
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Switzerland could vote to cap its populationUnder the Radar Swiss People’s Party proposes referendum on radical anti-immigration measure to limit residents to 10 million
-
Political cartoons for February 15Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include political ventriloquism, Europe in the middle, and more
-
The broken water companies failing England and WalesExplainer With rising bills, deteriorating river health and a lack of investment, regulators face an uphill battle to stabilise the industry