The new science and technology of edible robots and robotic food for humans and animals

Project Information

ROBOFOOD

Grant agreement ID: 964596

DOI

10.3030/964596

Project closed

EC signature date 15 December 2020

Start date 1 October 2021

End date 30 September 2025

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

Total cost

€ 3 411 691,25

EU contribution

€ 3 411 691,25

Coordinated by

ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
Switzerland

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - ROBOFOOD (The new science and technology of edible robots and robotic food for humans and animals)

Reporting period: 2024-04-01 to 2025-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The overarching objective of the RoboFood project is to lay the scientific and technological foundations for the development of truly edible robots and robotic food, which can in turn provide novel functionalities and services for human and animal health, society, and the environment. To comprehensively meet these goals, five specific strategic objectives for the project have been defined:
1) Create a library of smart edible materials, which deliver suitable mechano-chemo-electrical transduction properties.
2) Develop manufacturing and processing procedures for edible robots and robotic foods, methods for assessment of physical, nutritional, and preservation properties, and new shelf-life management methods.
3) Create complete edible components including sensors, actuators, energy sources, energy harvesters, control logic and mechanical structures.
4) Develop methods for system integration, packaging, preservation.
5) Integrate the developments above into RoboFood proof-of-concept demonstrators in the context of three core validation scenarios: i) Rescue RoboFood, an edible drone for remote rescue and assistance in disaster situations; ii) RoboFeed for wildlife preservation and welfare in animal farming; iii) RoboFood for humans, for dietary management, healthy nutrition, and treatment of dysphagia.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

To achieve the ambitious objectives set out in the RoboFood project, an interdisciplinary approach that brings together experts from two major disciplines, robotic science and food science, is being implemented. Our approach in the first, second and third reporting periods has focussed on the identification, characterisation, and processing of edible materials suitable for robotic applications. Specifically, we have created and expanded a library of food components with suitable functional characteristics for mechanical integrity, actuation, sensing and energy, and suitable nutritional profiles as well as gained preliminary insight into the quantitative characterisation of edible materials and the development of processing methods to alter material properties.In the third reporting period, the edible components developed within WP1-3 were incorporated into edible robots and robotic foods for the three core RoboFood validation scenarios, Rescue RoboFood, RoboFeed, and RoboFood for humans. The RoboFood project has successfully achieved the assembly of edible composite materials into fundamental robotic components, such as edible actuators, sensors, logic, power supplies, mechanical structures, and first systems, with xx peer-reviewed articles published on the subjects.

The project’s outreach and dissemination activities have remained strong, attracting notable media attention, particularly around the RoboCake demonstration, which was featured as a live showcase at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka. We regard RoboCake as a milestone achievement in both futuristic food innovation and edible robotics, showcasing an interdisciplinary collaboration between robotics and electronics engineers, gastronomy experts, and food materials scientists.

During the third reporting period, we also advanced in the areas of innovation and exploitation of project results. Two patents were submitted for the Aquatic RoboFeed and the Edible Jumpers, while the RoboCake outcomes are now being assessed for potential commercialization opportunities. Our activities are underpinned by the website, social media platforms, Data Management Plan, Quality and Risk Monitoring plan, and the Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation Plan. Preliminary exploitation objectives and strategies for future exploitation of results have been discussed and outlined by the Consortium.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The RoboFood project aims to achieve significant progress beyond the state-of-the-art in three newly integrated areas: 1) Processing of edible materials towards implementation in robotic devices; 2) Edible actuators and structures; and 3) Edible electronics, sensors and energy. We plan to create, for the first time, a radically new way to make robots that can be eaten and foods that behave like robots, with potential real-world applications including animal preservation, human rescue, and human nutrition. For example, future edible robots could deliver lifesaving nutrition to humans in emergency situations. Robotic food with edible actuators and electronics could tell the consumer when it is well-preserved and safe to eat, or it could protect itself from excessive heat or humidity during storage. They could also interact with humans and animals in totally new ways, such as to address dietary goals, facilitate swallowing for neurologic patients, or influence eating habits. Edible robots would be mostly made of organic material that can be digested and metabolised to support life. As such, essential nutrition or inoculations could in the future be delivered to pets, livestock, or wildlife, thus fuelling the food chain, whilst minimising metallic or plastic waste usually associated with the bodies of traditional robots. Within the scope of this project, we strive to make a significant contribution to the acceptance of edible materials as viable components for robotic applications and lead to new products and advances in edible material processing methods, with increased societal acceptance and interest due to their inherently increased sustainability.

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