Pulmuone participated in the '2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2024),' the world's largest advanced industry exhibition held from the 9th to the 12th local time in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, the 12th, and introduced menus created by the unmanned instant cooking platform 'Chulchul(which means the feeling of hunger in Korean) Box Robot Chef' to local consumers.
Pulmuone (CEO Lee Hyo-yul) announced on the 10th that it participated in CES 2024, which marked its 57th year as the world's largest advanced industry exhibition since its first occurrence in 1967. During the event, held at the Venetian Expo Convention Center, Pulmuone presented Korean menus created by the smart unmanned cooking vending machine 'ChulChul Box Robot Chef.'
CES 2024, organized by the Consumer Technology Association, featured the participation of over 3,500 companies and an estimated 130,000 visitors during the event period. While previously focused on IT and electronics, the exhibition has expanded to showcase cutting-edge technologies across various industries, including automotive, retail, and food tech. The theme for this year is 'All Together, All On,' highlighting the impact of AI technology advancements on diverse industries.
Pulmuone's participation in the event was conducted through collaboration with the U.S. smart vending startup 'Yo-Kai Express.' Pulmuone exhibited the ‘Robot Chef’ device at the Yo-Kai Express exhibition booth in the Food Tech Zone on the 2nd floor of the Venetian Expo Convention Center, introducing three Korean menu items (Yukgaejang noodles, Tteokguk, Plant-based Bulgogi Bibimbap) to on-site consumers and buyers.
"The 'Robot Chef' received a warm response from consumers and buyers worldwide who visited the venue, as it demonstrated restaurant-level instant cooking by the robot," said Jeong-min Nam, Managing Director of Food Innovation in charge of Pulmuone's unmanned platform business. “We aim to expand domestic unmanned platform business by differentiating with premium noodle dishes using Pulmuone's fresh noodles and unique toppings, integrating Pulmuone's business know-hows with global startup technology, making it a success story in the food tech sector.”
Pulmuone's 'Chulchul Box Robot Chef' is Korea's first smart unmanned instant cooking vending machine, capable of preparing frozen food products immediately upon order in about 90 seconds. Pulmuone secured exclusive rights to the Yo-Kai Express automatic cooking device business in Korea through an investment agreement in August 2022 and has actively cooperated to establish infrastructure and boost business with the U.S. smart vending startup. Starting from the end of last year, the ‘Chulchul Box Robot Chef' device received KC certification and began operations at highway rest areas and a large outdoor cafe. Pulmuone plans to rapidly expand its presence by entering various businesses with high demand for smart unmanned restaurants, such as corporate cafeterias and university student cafeterias, with an aim to systematically diversify its unmanned vending platform business.