LAS VEGAS -- South Korean food product maker Pulmuone has presented a vending machine that can cook refrigerated dishes in about 90 seconds at the Consumer Electronics Show, the world's largest annual electronics exhibition held in Las Vegas. At the global electronics exhibition, the robot chef provided instant dishes including noodle soup with beef and broth and Tteokguk, a traditional Korean soup made of rounded rice cakes.
Pulmuone said on January 10 that the instant food cooking machine called "Robot Chef" was showcased at the global electronics event. The smart vending machine can also cook plant-based Bulgogi Deopbap, a rice bowl topped with Korean-style barbecued marinated meat alternatives. Anyone can choose their food using a touchscreen.
"The 'Robot Chef' received a warm response from consumers and buyers worldwide who visited the venue, as it demonstrated restaurant-level instant cooking by the robot," Pulmuone's unmanned platform business head Nam Jeong-min said in a statement. The food company aims to work with schools and various companies to supply the machine.
The adoption of culinary robots is steadily gaining momentum in South Korea. In May 2023, robot chefs created by Doosan Robotics, a domestic collaborative robot manufacturer, offered noodles, fried chicken, and hot dogs at a golf event in the eastern city of Chuncheon. The company also utilized its beverage robot that can make a cup of Caffè Americano in 45 seconds.
In February 2022, four types of culinary robots were demonstrated at an army boot camp in Nonsan some 154 kilometers (96 miles) south of Seoul to reduce the burden of military chefs and the risks of safety accidents.