Researchers in Shenzhen have developed the world's first robot that can cook authentic Chinese dishes, yesterday's Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

The robot, called "Aike," made its debut Sunday with researchers with the Shenzhen Fanxing Technologies Co. demonstrating how the robot could cook a dish in just four to five minutes. First, all the necessary ingredients for the dish were put into the robot, which resembles a refrigerator. The robot, after reading a bar code, poured all the ingredients into a wok and then started to stir-fry them. The robot even tossed the wok the way a real chef does, the Daily report said. In five minutes, the dish was ready to be served.

The robot, developed after four years of research with an investment of 20 million yuan (US$2.5 million), can reportedly cook up to 1,000 Chinese dishes. Cai Hegao, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering and an expert on robots, was present during the demonstration. Cai confirmed that the robot was the first of its kind in the world.

Liu Xinyu, executive director of the Shenzhen Fanxing Technologies Co., said "Aike" can imitate a person's actions. It knows how to roast, deep-fry, boil and steam food, Liu said. Meanwhile, "Aike" has also mastered cooking techniques unique to Chinese food, such as stir-frying and quick-frying, he said.

The robot will be on display at the eighth China International Hi-tech Fair, the Daily report said. Large-scale production will start in the latter half of next year.

Editor: Donald