Picture the scene : You come home after work feeling too exhausted to cook - only to find a delicious meal worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant waiting for you . It sounds like a fantasy , but it could be about to come true thanks to a robot chef developed by British scientists . They have come up with a set of robotic arms so sophisticated that they are capable of cooking meals from scratch . Scroll down for video . New hospitality : British scientists spent almost 18 years developing the robotic 'chef ' hands . Scientists at the Shadow Robot Company spent almost 18 years developing the hands , which are each governed by 24 motors , 26 micro-controllers and 129 sensors . According to its creators , the arms can chop , stir , whisk and baste well enough to recreate almost anything you would care to eat , whether it is a simple home-cooked supper , or an elaborate concoction designed by a world-class chef . The hands move a little slowly , hovering strangely above the work surface whenever they are not busy , but they imitate human movements closely enough that they can do things such as wipe a spoon on the edge of a pan to prevent drips . The device will be sold from as early as 2017 as part of a purpose-built high-tech kitchen , priced at around £10,000 ( $ 14,000 ) , which includes an oven , hob , dishwasher and sink . Engineers at the Shadow Robot Company spent almost 18 years developing the hands , which are each governed by 24 motors , 26 micro-controllers and 129 sensors . Working from a small workshop in Islington , North London , they used to sell a few dozen devices a year , primarily to other scientists who used them for their own research . Even Nasa is understood to have ordered a pair to ‘ inspire ’ its engineers . According to its creators , the arms can chop , stir , whisk and baste well enough to recreate almost anything you would care to eat , whether it is a simple home-cooked supper , or an elaborate concoction designed by a world-class chef . The hands move a little slowly , hovering strangely above the work surface whenever they are not busy , but they imitate human movements closely enough that they can do things such as wipe a spoon on the edge of a pan to prevent drips . But last year , after Russian engineer Mark Oleynik from Moley Robotics approached the team with the notion of turning the hands into an everyday household gadget , the concept of the robot chef was born . Kitchen revolution : A robot in the Robotic Kitchen prototype created by the Shadow Robot Company cooks a crab soup at the company 's booth at the world 's largest industrial technology fair , the Hannover Messe . Working away : The robotic hands are each governed by 24 motors , 26 micro-controllers and 129 sensors . Even if there are a few splatters , it shouldn ’ t matter - the gadget will load the dishwasher and wipe down the work surfaces afterwards . The arms will tuck up out of the way when not in use , making space for their owners to get their own hands dirty . Mr Oleynik , who is spearheading the project , said : ‘ All the things which are possible with the hand are possible here . There is no limitation . The £10,000 ( $ 14,000 ) device will be sold from as early as 2017 as part of a purpose-built high-tech kitchen which includes an oven , hob , dishwasher and sink . Bon appétit : Chef Tim Anderson checks crab soup prepared by the 'robot chef ' at the Hannover Messe , in Hanover earlier today . ‘ A lot of people want to go to Michelin-starred restaurants , but they are quite expensive and may be quite far from the home . This is an opportunity for people to enjoy very good food , and for a reasonable price. ’ The only cuisine that is off the robot ’ s menu at the moment is sushi , which requires exceedingly steady pressure and nimble fingers to make , but the team plan to conquer that as well by the time it goes on sale . By that point , they claim , users will be able to order meals from an iTunes-style library of recipes devised by professional chefs , making it possible to tuck into Michelin-standard food on a daily basis . People will also be able to train the robotic arms to cook their own favourite family recipes , by demonstrating them a few times while wearing high-tech gloves and wrist-bands . Users will be able to ‘ order ’ dinner on their way home , or breakfast for when they wake up , using an app on their smartphone , picking recipes depending on the ingredients they have in stock . They will also be able to choose dishes based on their nutritional content . And just in case , the unit has emergency equipment if there ’ s a fire .
British scientists invents robotic hands able to cook a meal from scratch . Hands each governed by 24 motors , 26 micro-controllers and 129 sensors . The £10,000 ( $ 14,000 ) kitchen device will be sold from last year .