Robot Barista Outperforms Human Baristas in Speed Competition – CoffeeTalk

Shanghai-based Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology has announced that its seventh-generation COFE+ robotic café outperformed professional baristas during a competition at the 2026 Hongqiao International Coffee Culture Festival. The robotic café prepared three specialty Americanos in a total time of 2 minutes and 43 seconds, notably faster than the 3 minutes and 35 seconds taken by human competitors. The robot achieved an impressive average of 54 seconds per cup, while baristas averaged 72 seconds per cup. In terms of consistency, the robotic system exhibited a beverage weight deviation of only 0.8 grams, compared to 2.1 grams for human baristas.

The COFE+ model requires around 25 square feet of space and is capable of producing over 300 beverage combinations across eight categories, including coffee, milk tea, matcha, and chocolate drinks. It integrates artificial intelligence to oversee more than 300 brewing parameters, such as extraction pressure and water temperature. The design allows for unattended operation, enabling the kiosk to serve both hot and cold beverages while also creating customized latte art. Hi-Dolphin anticipates a service life of 10 years or 500,000 cups for the equipment, which can function in various indoor and outdoor settings.

Additionally, Hi-Dolphin’s automated café model can significantly reduce operating costs, lowering overhead by more than 90% compared to traditional coffee shops. The cost of beverage production ranges from 30 to 70 cents per cup. The company reports that one operator can effectively manage up to 10 machines, with each unit necessitating less than 15 minutes for restocking. Currently, Hi-Dolphin has implemented its technology in nearly 70 countries and over 200 cities, including locations such as airports, universities, corporate campuses, and transportation hubs.

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