Pulmuone develops robot chef capable of cooking noodle menus

[Courtesy of Pulmuone]

SEOUL -- South Korean food product maker Pulmuone has developed a vending machine that can cook refrigerated dishes in about 90 seconds. The robot chef can provide instant noodle dishes including noodle soup with beef and broth, and Jjambbong, a spicy seafood noodle soup with various ingredients such as onions and garlic.
 
Pulmuone said in a statement that the instant food cooking machine called "Robot Chef" was developed. Currently, three types of noodle dishes are available -- spicy beef soup, tonkotsu ramen, and spicy seafood noodle soup. Anyone can choose their menu through the 15.6-inch (39.6 cm)-wide touchscreen. The food company aims to work with schools and various companies to provide the new machine.
 
"By rapidly expanding into various businesses with high demand for smart unmanned restaurants, we will establish ourselves as an exemplary case of food tech specifically in the perspective of unmanned systems," Pulmuone’s unmanned platform business head Nam Jeong-min said in a statement on September 12. The company said more menus will be included after showcasing the smart vending machine in the sales market.
 
The adoption of cooking robots is steadily gaining momentum in South Korea. In May 2023, robot chefs created by Doosan Robotics, a domestic collaborative robot manufacturer, were used at a golf event in the eastern city of Chuncheon to provide noodles, fried chicken menus, and hot dogs. The company also utilized its beverage robot that can make a cup of Caffè Americano in 45 seconds.

VIPS, a family restaurant brand owned by the franchise restaurant wing of South Korean food and entertainment conglomerate CJ, has adopted a robot capable of cooking some 10 noodle menus. About 40 to 50 dishes can be cooked per hour.