Say Hello To Your Robot Kitchen: Robobarista And Robochef Paving The Way To A Very ‘Jetsons’ Future

We all love robots, and chances are they will make our lives easier in the near future -- up until the point where their Artificial Intelligence becomes too much for humanity. Until that time, the idea of a Robobarista preparing coffee and a Robochef cooking dinner seems like a novel and fun idea.

Cornell University is developing the Robobarista, which can be taught how to use your coffee or espresso machine. Led by Ashutosh Saxena, the Robot Learning Lab is programming robots with algorithms that gathers a large database of recorded actions and movements -- turning on a coffee maker, using levers or handles. This process would eliminate the need to re-train robots for every new task, or coffee machine. The Robobarista can evaluate previous actions to operate a new machine.

“Instead of trying to figure out how to operate an espresso machine, we figure out how to operate each part of it," Jaeyong Sung, a graduate student, said in a statement. The team has been training the Robobarista to use over 100 different appliances including juice makers, lamps and a soda machine. To better teach the robot, the researchers have turned to crowdsourcing to improve the Robobarista's database.

While Cornell is busy perfecting the Robobarista, Moley Robotics has developed a Robochef prototype. "Moley has created the world’s first robotic kitchen. Featuring an advanced, fully functional robot integrated into a beautifully designed, professional kitchen, it cooks with the skill and flair of a master chef," the company said on its website. Users will be able to draw from a library of recipes based on the type of cuisine, ingredients and number of people. Individuals can tailor the dishes for dietary reasons or allergen restrictions. Dishes include tuna steak, minestrone soup, tiramisu, fettuccine and stuffed calamari. Ars Technica sampled the Robot Kitchen's crab bisque and said it was "absolutely delicious."

Moley plans to have a consumer version of the Robotic Kitchen ready by 2017 and priced around $14,600.