万花筒 2009-06-25&06-26 机器人大厨（在线收听）

What’s cooking in Tokyo’s International Food Machinery and Tech Expo? For this robot chef, it’s Okonomiyaki-Japanese pancakes. One of a crew of sideboard servers dishing out the latest at the industrial event,Toyo Riki President Narito Hosomi says robots aren't just for factory use.

"We all know that robots can be very useful. We want to take that utility out of the factory, so they can be used elsewhere."

For traditional diners, sushi is on the menu, courtesy of Kyoto-based Squse. Masanori Hirano says while most prefer to know who’s cutting their fish, AI cuisine does have its advantages.

"If a human does this job, it can be stressful. And if so, then they can leave the work to the robot."

Japan, home to almost half of the world’s 800,000 industrial robots, has seen as a $ 10 billion market within a decade, while robots currently work as temporary stuff, ease for the elderly, and perhaps soon in some finer dining establishments across the globe.

Dan Sloan, Reuters, Tokyo.