This Innovative "Robotic Cake" Was Lit By Edible Chocolate Batteries

NDTV

29-04-2025

Hyper-realistic cakes, burn-away cakes and similar cake innovations have been taking the world by storm for some time now. But have you ever come across a cake with robotic parts that can be eaten? One such cake was recently created - and it wasn't done on a whim, for social media clout or to simply make a unique dessert. Rather, this RoboCake is being considered as an indicator of the progress made in edible technology that expands the horizons of both gastronomy and robotic science. Created as part of the EU-funded RoboFood project, this "robotic wedding cake" was the product of a collaboration between scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), as well as culinary experts and confectioners from the Lausanne School of Hotel Management (EHL). It was showcased at the Expo 2025 in Osaka, which took place in mid-April.
One of the most innovative parts of this "RoboCake" was edible rechargeable batteries, which were made of vitamin B2, quercetin, activated carbon and chocolate. They were used to light the LED candles on the cake. IIT researchers, coordinated by Mario Caironi, were the ones who crafted these batteries - reportedly the first of their kind in the world. According to Valerio Galli, a PhD student at IIT, "The first flavour you get when you eat them is dark chocolate, followed by a surprising tangy kick, due to the edible electrolyte inside, which lasts a few seconds." As per the researchers, the batteries could potentially help combat the burgeoning problem of electronic waste.
Edible robotic teddy bears Photo Credit: EPFL/Jamani Caillet
Another highlight of the cake were two completely edible robotic teddy bears, which were placed on the topmost tier. Scientists at the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LIS) at EPFL used gelatin, syrup and colorants to make the bears, which can also move because of a specific mechanism. Bokeon Kwak, a researcher at LIS, explains, "They are animated by an internal pneumatic system: when air is injected through dedicated pathways, their heads and arms move." These bears were said to taste like soft, sweet pomegranate gummies. The engineers worked with the chefs from EHL to ensure these robotics parts were safe to eat and tasted good.
Dario Floreano, head of the LIS, noted, "Robotics and food are two separate worlds. However, merging them offers many advantages, particularly in terms of limiting electronic waste and food waste... Edible robots could be used to deliver food to endangered areas, to deliver medicines in innovative ways to people who have difficulty swallowing or to animals, or even to monitor food and its freshness using sensors that can be eaten."