The world's first 'edible robot', able to move and talk like a human

The 'edible' portion of HERI, are 7cm long opaque yellow rectangular candy bars made of gelatin spiked with sugar and apple juice for added flavor. This part knows how to move, can sway from side to side, wave its two liquid-coated arms to give friendly greetings to people around.

The candy bar says, "Hello. I'm happy to talk to you today."

Throughout this entire process, the 'body' of the candy bar is always placed in a 3D printed cup, which powers the robot, helping to create realistic movements.

To help it move, the chambers inside the marshmallow stick are filled with air and connected to a pneumatic tube at the base. The sound comes from the speaker connected to the device.

The scientists' goal is to offer edible robots as a new culinary experience.

This 'edible robot' idea is inspired by Anpanman, a famous Japanese superhero comic character, shaped like a red bean paste, and the traditional Japanese culinary custom of "odorigui", eating The seafood is still alive and moving.

The research team invited a group of people to enjoy "edible robots" to analyze their perceptions. As a result, these people felt the texture of the moving robot was chewier and slightly stiffer than when it was stationary. They also have feelings about freshness, life, and even guilt when eating robots.

The reason for this difference may be due to the way people interact with food, causing changes in taste leading to different psychological and cognitive effects.

Scientists believe that edible robots can have many applications in the future, such as supporting treatment for patients with eating problems or helping people eat foods they do not like.

Jessica Tanner

Update 07 June 2024