Image source: VnExpress
The “Hanoi Connects with Continents” cultural and culinary festival took place from November 29 to December 1, 2024, at Thong Nhat Park, featuring over 80 stalls.
A highlight of the festival was the “Pho So Ha Thanh” program, where visitors could experience the famous Hanoi noodle soup prepared and served by intelligent robots. These robots precisely cooked each bowl of pho, from boiling the broth to serving it on the table.
Robot preparing a bowl of pho, adding meat, spices, and noodles, and pouring the broth.
Following a pre-programmed sequence, the robots expertly assembled each bowl of pho, adding the noodles, meat, spices, and garnishes, before pouring the hot broth on top. Once a bowl was complete, another robot would carefully transport it to the waiting guests.
Robot chefs at the Hanoi Cultural and Culinary Festival 2024 (Image source: VnExpress)
A sticker on the robots revealed that they were provided by RPMEC, a company specializing in precision mechanical engineering. RPMEC, short for the Research Institute of Precision Mechanical Engineering Company Limited, was established in 1985 by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (now the Ministry of Education and Training).
RPMEC has expertise in various fields, including hydraulic and pneumatic pumps, high-pressure intensifiers, complex molds, technology transfer consulting, and training in precision mechanical engineering, automation, complex product design, and software programming.
In August 2012, following a directive from Hanoi University of Science and Technology to integrate the school’s enterprise system and comply with state regulations on ownership, the Research Institute of Precision Mechanical Engineering Joint Stock Company was established, replacing the former Precision Mechanical Engineering Center.
The company is headquartered at C8B, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, with Mr. Nguyen Chi Hung (DOB: 1977) serving as both the director and legal representative. RPMEC’s mission is to address all issues related to production, business, and technology transfer in the field of mechanics and automation within the university.
Currently, RPMEC operates in three main areas: automation solutions and robotics, training and automation training equipment, and hydraulic equipment and industrial machinery.
The company is also an official distributor of Doosan Cobots from South Korea. Doosan Robotics, a subsidiary of the Doosan Chaebol, holds a 68.2% stake in the company, according to its 2023 audited financial statements. Cobots, or collaborative robots, are industrial robots designed to work safely alongside human workers in manufacturing environments. Founded in 2015, Doosan Robotics is a market leader in cobots in South Korea and ranks fourth globally, excluding China.


