Robots on the Menu: Have Your Robot and Eat It Too!

Robots and food have long existed in separate realms: Robots are typically inorganic, bulky, and non-disposable, while food is organic, soft, and biodegradable. However, recent advancements in research have led to the development of edible robots, offering a range of potential benefits. Edible robotic technology could help reduce electronic waste, facilitate the delivery of essential nutrition and medications to those in need, monitor health parameters, and even introduce innovative gastronomical experiences.

Despite the exciting prospects, the question remains: How close are we to having a fully edible robot for lunch or dessert? Scientists from the RoboFood project, based at EPFL, delve into these inquiries and more in a new perspective article published in the esteemed journal Nature Reviews Materials.

“The convergence of robots and food presents a captivating challenge,” remarks Dario Floreano, the director of the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at EPFL and the lead author of the article. In 2021, Floreano collaborated with experts from Wageningen University, the University of Bristol, and the Italian Institute of Technology to initiate the RoboFood project, which secured €3.5 million in funding from the EU for a four-year period.

In their insightful article, the RoboFood researchers explore the potential edible ingredients that could be utilized to create edible robot components and entire robots, while also addressing the associated hurdles. “We are still in the process of identifying edible materials that can replicate the functionalities of non-edible counterparts,” Floreano explains. For instance, gelatine can serve as a substitute for rubber, rice cookies can mimic foam, a chocolate film can offer protection in humid conditions, and a blend of starch and tannin can imitate commercial adhesives.

These edible materials form the building blocks of robotic elements. Bokeon Kwak, a postdoctoral researcher in Floreano's group and a co-author of the article, highlights the ongoing research on individual edible components such as actuators, sensors, and batteries. In a notable breakthrough in 2017, EPFL scientists successfully crafted an edible gripper made of gelatine, capable of grasping an apple and being consumed afterward. Recent collaborations between EPFL, IIT, and the University of Bristol have led to the development of a novel conductive ink that can be sprayed onto food to monitor its growth, featuring activated carbon as a conductor and Haribo gummy bears as a binder.

As the quest for fully edible robots continues, researchers have achieved milestones in assembling partially edible robotic systems. In 2022, a team of researchers from EPFL and Wageningen University designed a drone with rice cookie wings secured with gelatine. Additionally, scientists at EPFL and IIT engineered a rolling robot with pneumatic gelatine legs and an edible tilt sensor.

However, numerous challenges lie ahead before the realization of fully edible robots. Understanding how humans and animals perceive processed food with reactive and autonomous characteristics remains a significant hurdle. Furthermore, the development of fully edible electronics incorporating transistors for information processing poses a complex task. Bokeon Kwak emphasizes the technical challenge of integrating components that require electricity, such as batteries and sensors, with those relying on fluids and pressure for movement, like actuators. Once all components are seamlessly integrated, researchers must focus on miniaturization, enhancing the shelf life of robotic food, and ensuring that the robots offer a palatable taste.