Chinese Restauranteur Invents Robot Noodle Chef
Chef Cui is a robot that could be referred to what Americans call a “one-trick pony.” The robot chef has one mission in android life and one mission only; the creation of perfectly hand-shaved noodles.
Hand-shaved noodles, known as dao xiao mian, are ribbons of dough sliced from a ball (or block) and boiled in water. They are one of the most popular varieties of noodles in China.
Chef Cui’s creator is Cui Runquan, aged 35, of Hebei Province. The inventor, who left school at the age of 15, has recently patented his amazing invention.
His idea, which came to him while working in a restaurant, has caught the attention of a Beijing-based company who will begin mass-producing the robot in early March.
“All day long, I used to work beside a pot of boiling water, shaving noodles by hand and pouring them in. It’s hot and steamy work, and I thought how wonderful it would be if I could build a robot to do it for me,” said Cui.
Behold Chef Cui, who is now in its fourth stage of development. The inventor has created a robot chef that shaves the noodles with precise up and down movements, operating much in the same manner as a set of windshield wipers.
“My dream is that one day everybody will eat shaved noodles made by my robot,” Cui told the press.
And it would appear that dream is closer than ever to becoming a reality, both for Cui, the robot and hand- shaved noodles.
Check out the video below depicting a Japanese two-armed chef robot that also creates only noodles, and according to restaurant patrons who eat them, makes them perfectly every time.
Bravo, Chef Cui and….pass me a plate, will ya?
(Link)
By MDeeDubroff on 01-03-2011
