A team of scientists and pastry chefs from Switzerland and Italy has created an entirely edible electric cake with batteries, that can be recharged or just eat it.
To create RoboCake, which is currently participating in Expo 2025 in Osaka, researchers from the Federal Polytechnic School Lausanne and the Italian Institute of Technology have teamed up with confectioners and food scientists.The top of the cake is decorated with edible robotic bears, which, as noted, taste like pomegranates marmalades. Inside them is a pneumatic system that allows them to move their heads and limbs.
According to Bokeon Kwak of the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LIS), the bears are made of gelatin, syrup, and dyes. These little dancing robots are completely edible. In addition, scientists have created the world’s first edible battery a rechargeable energy source made from vitamin B2, quercetin, activated charcoal, and chocolate.
«These batteries, which are safe to use, can be used to light LED candles on a cake. The first flavor you’ll taste when you eat them is dark chocolate, followed by an amazing spicy aftertaste due to the edible electrolyte inside that lasts for a few seconds», — explains Valerio Galli, a PhD student at the Italian Institute of Technology.
The batteries look like this small chocolate wafers and look quite attractive. The developers aimed to make sure that eating these elements would provide a unique taste experience.
«Our challenge was to find the best way to showcase the innovations of our two partners, EPFL and IIT, while adding what we do best: enjoyment.That’s how RoboCake was born – a real birthday cake that combines technology, electronics and taste», — the pastry chef said Julien Boutonnet.
The cake was created as part of the four-year RoboFood project worth $3 million 950 thousand. The goal of this project is to collaborate with scientists and confectioners and food technology experts to create edible products that go beyond cooking. According to the scientists, the combination of food and robotics can limit both food and electronic waste. They do not rule out the possibility that edible robots will be able to deliver food to places that are at risk of destruction in the future.
Like toothpaste: the world’s first soft battery made of liquid electrodes has been created in Sweden
Source: New Atlas
Spelling error report
The following text will be sent to our editors: