The Beijing Winter Olympics has played host to some of the world’s most elite athletes over the last two weeks but it’s not only on the slopes that records are being broken – the event has also set the standard for what the future of foodservice could look like.
Organisers have implemented a comprehensive Covid prevention and control programme to minimise human contact, which has seen robots deployed in a range of scenarios, including food and dining.
In the main media center for the event, a “smart restaurant” is providing catering services around the clock to reporters from around the world.
The site features more than 10 different types of “smart catering equipment” that are operating on a 24-7 basis to feed up to 1,000 workers at a time, including automated cookers, prep machines and beverage makers.
The robots inside the restaurant can cook cuisines, as well as make hamburgers, ice cream, coffee and cocktails.
After being made to order, meals are delivered to the dining tables through an “installed transfer system” using artificial intelligence.
The video, which was posted by China’s Xinhua News Agency, shows how robotic systems are programmed to cook a range of items, including burgers, vegetarian dishes and dumplings.
Meals are then dispatched on the overhead track for delivery to the table.
Robots are also being used throughout the games for cleaning purposes, to transport medical equipment and even present medals.
