With advancements in technology and artificial intelligence reaching unprecedented levels with every passing day, nothing is outlandish or impossible in today’s world. This fast-paced and constantly evolving environment demands multitasking and working smarter that can save you valuable time.
With this in mind, scientists are constantly pushing the boundaries of robotics and AI, developing new technologies that can make everyday human activities easier and significantly less stressful. Now, Swiss researchers and scientists are working on developing a robot that is not only fully functional, but can also be edible. WionYes, that’s right: a robot that you can eat to satisfy your hunger.
Deemed a unique and fascinating blend of engineering and culinary science, the project is currently being worked on by scientists from École Polytechnique de Lausanne in Switzerland, in collaboration with researchers and colleagues from other universities. The robots will reportedly be consumed at the end of their lifespan.
This is advantageous in many ways and at the same time solves the problems associated with e-waste: these robots will have the ability to monitor health, manage nutrition and medications, significantly reducing technological or electronic waste.
To make this a reality, scientists in the country have launched the Robofood project, which aims to replace the robot’s mechanical parts with edible materials: gelatin, for example, could be used to make rubber, foam to make rice cookies, and chocolate to protect the aforementioned parts from moisture and water.
Professor Dario Floreano, Director of the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and Founding Director of the Swiss National Competence Centre in Robotics, is one of the main backers of the RoboFood project and is very optimistic about its potential.
Achievements in this field have been groundbreaking in many ways: researchers managed to create an edible gripper in 2017 and a drone made of rice cookie wings in 2022. Going a step further, they even created an edible battery with quercetin and riboflavin last year. So it’s safe to say that things are mostly moving in the right direction. We might see robots on our menus in the near future.
Published June 24, 2024 10:28 IST
