Ningbo pioneers smart home living with robot chefs

Cook, a humanoid robot chef. [Photo/Tide News]

A humanoid robot chef capable of cooking complex Chinese dishes has been unveiled, marking a significant step toward bringing intelligent robots into everyday home life.

The robot, named Cook, was jointly developed by the Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center in Ningbo and local kitchen appliance maker Fotile.

In a live demonstration, Cook operated autonomously in a real kitchen, completing a 22-step cooking process — from opening the fridge and selecting ingredients to adjusting the stove heat and plating the final dish. Its smooth, coordinated performance impressed audiences and highlighted the growing potential of service robots.

As humanoid robots gain traction in industrial and commercial settings, expectations are rising for their use in households. However, home environments remain highly challenging due to their dynamic, unstructured nature and the diversity of tasks involved. According to developers, mastering precise dual-arm manipulation — such as pouring, stirring, and handling delicate objects — is key to success in domestic scenarios.

The center's robots have already proven their reliability in industrial applications, including automotive assembly and quality inspection, achieving success rates above 99.99 percent. These experiences laid a strong foundation for tackling more complex service tasks.

Powered by an advanced AI system integrating vision, language, and action models, Cook combines precise perception with stable control. Its development reflects a broader push to transition embodied intelligence from factories to homes, where the kitchen, with its complexity and safety demands, represents the ultimate testing ground.