Imagine a day in the future when robots aren't only tools rather, they're something you can eat. Thanks to the innovative work of scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) and their RoboFood project, that future might be closer than you think.

Edible Robots
Image Source: ASME

Dario Floreano, head of EPFL's Laboratory of Intelligent Systems and main author of a recent viewpoint paper published in Nature Reviews Materials, describes the task of combining robots with food as "a fascinating challenge." Researchers from Wageningen University, the University of Bristol, the Italian Institute of Technology, and Floreano's team are making great progress in creating entirely edible robotic parts, if not entire edible robots.

Remarkable Strides in Edible Robots Development

These edible robots have a plethora of possible uses. In addition to providing healthcare, monitoring the environment, feeding people and animals, and even creating cutting-edge gourmet experiences, edible robots are a far greener option than conventional robots constructed of non-edible materials because they decompose naturally.

The researchers have already achieved remarkable strides. Scientists at EPFL developed an apple-handling edible gelatin gripper in 2017. To produce sensors that can sense pH, light, and bending, scientists have more recently created a conductive ink that can be sprayed on food. Using riboflavin, quercetin, and activated carbon, researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology have also produced the first edible battery that can be recharged.

Though there are still technological challenges to be solved, such as combining the different edible parts and extending the robotic food's shelf life, the researchers are optimistic that entirely edible robots will soon come to pass. "We are still figuring out which edible materials work similarly to non-edible ones," Floreano says.

Understanding how animals and people perceive processed food and respond to it with reactive and autonomous behaviour is one of the main problems. One study conducted in 2024 discovered that participants viewed a moving edible robot as a "creature," whereas a stationary one was viewed as "food." Additionally, the moving robot was described as tasting "sweet" and had particular flavours, such as "apple."

The researchers see a future where edible robots might be employed for a variety of tasks, such as monitoring the environment and administering healthcare, as technology advances. Who knows, maybe in the future you'll be able to order takeout from a drone delivery service and have the drone for dessert.

To enable these robots to sense their surroundings, move, and run on their energy, researchers have created edible sensors, actuators, and even batteries. For instance, the orientation of the robot can be determined via an edible rotation sensor composed of gummy bears, gelatin, and activated carbon.

When it comes to functionality, edible robots are still less than fully functional regular robots. Although edible sensors, actuators, and even batteries have been proven by researchers, it is still difficult to integrate these parts into an edible robot that is completely autonomous and functioning. It's possible that the edible components don't yet function as well as their non-edible equivalents.

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