InventorSpot

Too tired at the end of the day to face your kitchen and the hungry kids nagging you for dinner? Ever wish you could be like the Jetsons with your own Rosey the Robot to cook and clean? Your fantasy may not be far from reality thanks to the recently invented “food robot” designed by Liu Changfa, a retired Beijing professor.

Standing at almost 5 feet tall, the robot chef is controlled by a computer planted in its legs while a screen resides in the chest of the body. Inside of its belly, one will find a pot and an induction cooker. Users can program elaborate cooking instructions into the computer and the robot will begin to cook, using its robotic arm for help.

One of China's "cooking" robots

This month, Liu is taking the most modern of chefs to China’s national invention contest, where he hopes to make this homemaker’s dream helper a mainstream commodity. Bragging the robot’s operating procedures are easy enough for a child to complete, the integration of computer-controlled cooks could bring a whole new meaning to after school snack time.

Similar technology is already being utilized in a Shenzhen restaurant, leaving line cooks nervous with worries of unemployment on the horizon. The robots can cook literally thousands of cuisines found in various regions of China, and many receive their commands just from a scanned bar code containing all pertinent ingredient and cooking information.

Liu's robot, who has served up dinner for over 200 taste testers so far, will be more popular with families but could do well in fine dining situations as well. Critics eating the "chef's" entrees have found no distinct flavor difference between the robot's creations and those from a traditional restaurant kitchen.