SHANGHAI, June 5, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a coffee competition during the 5.5 Shopping Festival and Coffee Culture Festival in Shanghai, a 7th generation robot barista outperformed a human barista in speed and weight accuracy.
In the Hongqiao Robot Coffee Competition, COFE+, a fully intelligent robot barista developed by Shanghai Hi-Dolphin, competed against a barista who has judged TOC (Top of Coffee) competitions. Under the supervision of the referee, both prepared three Americanos, while the judges kept track of the total time, the time per cup and the weight deviation.
The COFE+ robot barista completed three cups in 2 minutes and 43 seconds, an average of 54 seconds per cup. The weight deviation across the three cups was ±0.8 grams, or approximately 0.3% of the target weight. The human competitor finished in 3 minutes and 35 seconds, an average of 72 seconds per cup, with a weight deviation of ±2.1 grams, or about 1%. In particular, the robot did not register any measurable errors or deviations outside the permitted tolerance.
According to judges, the robot worked almost 1.5 times faster than the human barista and delivered about three times more precision. One judge noted, “The robot showed amazing consistency. It challenges the assumption that handmade coffee is inherently superior.”
COFE+ can prepare more than 300 types of drinks in eight categories, including freshly ground coffee, milk tea, matcha, hot chocolate and plant-based drinks. It stores signature recipes from 197 countries and offers more than 5,000 customization options, such as strength, sweetness, temperature and robot barista latte art.
This robot has more than 120 international patents and has obtained food safety and equipment certifications from the FDA, CE, UKCA and authorities in Japan, South Korea and other markets. These certifications enable faster market access in nearly 70 countries.
Operating costs for the COFE+ robot kiosk can be more than 90% lower than those of a traditional café, mainly due to lower wages, rent and renovation costs. One employee can remotely monitor up to 10 units, with daily stock replenishment taking approximately 15 minutes per machine. The expected payback period is 4 to 8 months, based on average sales volumes in high-traffic locations, according to company data.
“Our goal is to reduce financial risks for café operators and make high-quality coffee more accessible to consumers,” says Dr. Han Feizi, founder of Hi-Dolphin Robotics.
Media contact:
Name: Rebecca Yan
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