Chef Simon Gault recently put on lunch for a group of journalists at Charley Noble near Wellington's waterfront. But the former MasterChef judge wasn't to be seen in the kitchen, or anywhere near the restaurant for that matter. He was 600km away on the end of a video call from Auckland, dressed in his immaculate chef's whites and holding a tablet computer.
Tapping on it, he sent instructions in the bustling kitchen to a robotic arm, which used its tongs to pick up a crayfish tail sizzling on the grill and delicately place it on the fluffy white roll that was about to be served up to me.
Robo-Chop, as the robotic chef was nicknamed, is a bit of a gimmick. It's unlikely to be putting chefs out of work any time soon. The point of the demonstration, held by Samsung, Spark and robotics companies RML Machinery and ABB Robotics, was to celebrate the extension of Spark's 5G mobile network to cover most of Wellington's central business district.
Denne historien er fra December 02-08, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra December 02-08, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
