Chinese Robots Stir Up Automation at 2026 Beijing Robot Conference

At the World Robot Conference in Beijing (2026), several Chinese firms unveiled AI-driven kitchen systems. Oak Deer Robotics displayed three aids—including the “CookingMuse” multimodal AI model, an AI-integrated cooking robot, and the mobile “RobotCook” container kitchen. Live demos showed the robot stir-frying tofu, pork and green peppers in a wok capable of 300 °C. Xianglu Robotics introduced its 3K Vision robot, which used three industrial cameras and additional sensors to detect an unexpected 100 ml water splash during a mapo tofu demo and automatically adjusted heat, duration, stirring speed and seasoning. A robot-powered noodle shop, “Yujian Weilai,” began trial service, handling boiling, broth addition, plating and delivery with minimal human involvement.

FuturismRobot chefs bring intuition to the mix

China’s catering industry generated nearly 5.8 trillion yuan ($863 billion) last year (National Bureau of Statistics). Rising labor costs and the desire for consistent quality are driving interest in automation. Nonetheless, automated cooking systems are deployed in under 2 % of domestic establishments and even less abroad.

Robot chefs bring intuition to the mix

• Oak Deer reports its robots are installed in over 300 Chinese cities and 4,000 stores.

Futurism

• Xianglu’s 3K Vision robot achieves >99 % accuracy on well-trained signature dishes, falling to roughly 77 % when presented with unfamiliar ingredients.

Robot chefs bring intuition to the mix

• The RobotCook mobile unit costs about the annual salary of one kitchen worker; for a venue serving 100 meals daily, the return on investment is projected at 12–15 months.

Robot chefs bring intuition to the mix

• Yang Jiancheng, founder and chairman of Xianglu Robotics, stressed that “real kitchens are never standardized laboratories,” underscoring the shift from timer-based programs to sensor-driven adjustments.

Robot chefs bring intuition to the mix

• Wu Xianming, a recognized master chef of Jiangxi cuisine, said robots can take on heavy, repetitive physical strain, freeing chefs to concentrate on menu development and creative research.

Robot chefs bring intuition to the mix

• Liu Xingliang, president of the Data Center of China Internet’s Internet Research Institute, argued that embodied AI need not resemble humans; its form factor should be dictated by functional kitchen requirements.

Robot chefs bring intuition to the mix

• Li Pengzhen, general manager of the robot noodle restaurant, explained the aim of turning machine parameters into numerical standards for every bowl.

Futurism

Industry insiders view automation as reshaping kitchen labor rather than outright replacing chefs, with emerging models that let seasoned culinary masters license digitized recipes and earn royalties per dish. Growth opportunities are identified in Western and Southeast Asian markets, where skilled Chinese chefs are scarce and wages are high.

Robot chefs bring intuition to the mix