Chinese cooking robots enter mainstream with Olympics showcase

Startup Aican lands deal with Japanese restaurant chain Osaka Ohsho

Shanghai Aican's small cooking robot is priced around $10,000, roughly equivalent to the labor costs for a cook over half a year. (Image from company video)

NORIYUKI DOI, Nikkei staff writer

March 6, 2022 23:30 JST

SHANGHAI -- The up-and-coming culinary android developer Shanghai Aican Robot (Group) has emerged as a clear winner of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Aican's robot chefs were adopted at a restaurant that served Olympic staff working in Zhangjiakou, a city northwest of Beijing. The positive buzz led to the company entering into an agreement with a Chinese fast-food chain that operates over 1,000 locations directly.