and

Revealed at the Hannover Messe technology show, Moley Robotics has a functioning automatic kitchen that cooked up a (reportedly quite good) crab bisque for members of the press.

The product is a robot that gently caresses the lip of the saucepan, deftly flicks the switch on the hob, and can even drum its fingers like a human chef might while waiting.

And that's no wonder – the robot doesn't know what it's doing. Instead, it just mirrors someone else, like an annoying mime at a tourist spot.

Former Masterchef winner Tim Anderson is the man with the recipe, and was recorded making his crab bisque in an identical kitchen with several 3D cameras – all while wearing motion capture technology.

"The crab bisque, in case you were wondering, was absolutely delicious," wrote ArsTechnica, while Wired likewise reported: "the bisque is delicious: deep and warming, with a strong hit of crab."

Because, of course, the robot cooks it the exact same way every time.

At the moment, the robot just goes through the recorded motions, and expects the ingredients and equipment to all be in a specific place. The company plans on introducing robotic vision and artificial intelligence later, so the robot can see what it's doing and make small compensations.

The secret ingredient to this system are the super-advanced robotic hands designed by Shadow Robots, which has been working on the development and programming of lifelike robotic limbs for two decades.

The version implemented here works at normal human speed, though the creators say that's by design, not a limitation.

The creators estimate that, when the machine is ready for consumer consumption in 2017, it will cost around £10,000 (€13,856) to have it installed - which is not as outlandish as it sounds for an entirely new kitchen.

It's also envisioned that the consumer version will contain a built-in refrigerator and dishwasher to remove the clean-up from the kitchen, too.

And for those times when you want to cook, the arms will retract to leave the kitchen clear. When your robot chef takes over, glass panels will glide across to prevent children or animals interfering, for safety reasons.

Once installed, the company says recipes will come from an "iTunes-style" library that will be built up over time - and the company hopes that more advanced versions will eventually contains 3D cameras so cooks can record their own recipes.

That opens up an interesting platform for TV chefs, as you could have Darina Allen or Jamie Oliver do your cooking for you, using pre-recorded movements.

Which wouldn't be bad for a Tuesday evening after work.