Singapore: An Indian couple in Singapore has invented a first-of-its-kind robot to make chappatis which raked in about 5 million Singapore dollars in pre-sale orders from the US. Rishi Israni and his wife Pranoti, took six years to develop the robot, Rotimatic, which can produce about one baked chapati per minute. Rotimatic is the first kitchen device to use robotic technology and awaits US certifications required for such products for the American market. The Rotimatic shipment to the American market would commence next year. The Isranis co-founded start-up Zimplistic for the invention, a 17-kilogramme breadmaker type device which combines 10 motors, 15 sensors and 300 parts to produce chapati, The Straits Times reported.

Chapati making can be customised to the thickness, softness, amount of oil and type of flour. "Zimplistic is changing the way people think about cooking by bringing them a smarter way to prepare food and customers have been extremely receptive to and excited about this concept," said Israni in a statement. Priced at USD 599 each, Rotimatic is easy to use and can clean simply as it comes with detachable dishwasher-safe components, it said. Israni is a entrepreneur and was formerly the founder of tenCube, a Singapore based mobile security company acquired by McAfee. Pranoti's expertise is in mechanical engineering and product design.