The next obvious step in 3D printing technology is to print food, of course. Now you can own PancakeBot, a special 3D printer designed to produce highly detailed pancakes.
PancakeBot was first dreamed up in 2010 by Norway-based inventor Miguel Valenzuela. What was originally designed as a neat toy for his daughters soon garnered international attention, and over the years Valenzuela has perfected the PancakeBot so that it could be manufactured commercially. In 2014 he partnered with Storebound, a company that specializes in supporting individual inventors and bringing new and innovative products to the marketplace.
This marks the very first food printer of its kind, and it frankly reminds us a little of the food replicators from Star Trek. Designed for easy use and clean up, the machine dispenses batter directly onto a griddle in whatever shape the user chooses. Each PancakeBot comes with software that allows the user to create their own pancake designs which are transferred to an SD card and inserted into the printer. Original designs can also be uploaded and shared with the PancakeBot community. Feel like making your kids a pancake in the shape of BB-8? Someone has already figured out the design for you.
The PancakeBot is currently available for $300.
