Could robot chefs be answer to staff shortages? Hong Kong team believes it has recipe for success
Chemistry professor has set up a company to produce robot chefs and has goal of making 30,000 units and HK$2 billion in revenue
The Communist Party’s third plenum in July set the country’s long-term direction on economic policy, with strategic industries such as AI and biomedicine targeted. Traditional enterprises will also be encouraged to transform with the help of technology. The Post looks at innovations by up-and-coming Hong Kong scientists who are already making waves and may be even the next big winners like tech giants DJI and SenseTime.
Four years after opening his dream restaurant in Hong Kong back in 2012, chemistry professor Chen Guanhua was struggling with the high turnover of chefs in the industry.
Chen decided to take matters into his own hands by building a culinary robot. Eight years later, he proudly watches his machine cooking a dish from start to finish in two to three minutes without human intervention at one of his restaurants in Kwun Tong.
The robot swings into action after an order is made on a tablet at the counter. It automatically retrieves pre-packed items from the fridge, pours oil and ingredients into the cooking pot, stir-fries the food, thickens the sauce and serves the food on a plate. It then washes the equipment.
Chen, who works at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has also set up a company to produce the robot chef and has a goal of making 30,000 units and HK$2 billion (US$256 million) in revenue. His robot has been sold in Japan and the United States.
With Hong Kong and many other markets struggling to retain workers in the catering industry, Chen’s team hopes their innovation will offer a solution and make Chinese cuisine even more accessible for the world to savour.
