Meet the robot chef who can cook all your meals

Robo Chef, the futuristic personal chef from Moley Robotics and 2011 MasterChef winner Tim Anderson, will retail for US $15,000

The cooking robot, with slightly daunting mechanical arms that mimic human movement, makes 48 recipes now and is predicted to have over 2,000 recipes when it hits markets in 2017. Anderson cooked his recipes in front of Robo Chef, which now has his recorded movements for those recipes programmed into its system.

It will be operated via smartphone apps remotely, or by its touch screen on the unit. Though mainly intended for consumer use, the makers say the invention opens up new doors for celebrity chefs as well.

The prototype, which previewed at the industrial technology trade fair in Hannover, Germany, is the result of a collaboration between Shadow Robot, Yachtline, DYSEGNO, Sebastian Conran and Stamford University Professor Mark Cutkosky.

Shadow Robot, the company which produced the robotic arms and hands, says they have 20 motors and 24 joints. And with 129 sensors, they’re about as sensitive to change in their ingredients as a mechanical chef can hope for.

Rich Walker, managing director at Shadow, said that the sensors can tell when the consistency of an ingredient changes: for example, when beaten egg whites begin to peak.

“Maybe something gets stiffer or softer. We should be able to sense that and use it as the point to transition to the next stage of the cooking process."

The system will have a library of ingredients and as it can be accessed remotely, consumers can instruct it to cook while they’re away and have a hot meal waiting on arrival.

The system has a refrigerator, oven, hob and dishwasher and its robotic arms automatically fold away when it’s not in use.

“It’s the ultimate sous chef,” said Anderson.