Swiss-Italian Researchers Develop Edible RoboCake
Posted on May 3, 2025
Edible robots are here. Most people don't think of eating a robot when they see one but these robots are different and were built with edible batteries by Swiss-Italian researchers.
The research was led by EPFL's Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LIS). Bokeon Kwak, a researcher at EPFL, told Interesting Engineering, that the robots are made from gelatin, syrup, and colorants. They have a pomegranate flavor. Kwak says, "Using an internal pneumatic system, their heads and arms move when air is injected through designed pathways."
Dario Floreano, Head of the LIS, says, "This design is part of a project to develop fully biodegradable and edible robots that can monitor environmental conditions, such as water pollution, soil quality, or forest canopy contamination. A unique advantage of these edible robots is that, once their work is complete, they can also serve as a source of nutrition for animals in the environment, who may be drawn to the robots’ scent, movement, or flavor."