By Hugo Francisco de SouzaMay 29 2024Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc. In a recent perspective review published in the journal Nature Reviews Materials, researchers collate and discuss ongoing progress in edible materials and how these materials can be used to develop robotic foods and edible robots.
Surprisingly, a future wherein scenarios such as this occur may be imminent. Food processing and robot design, while appearing as distinct and independent areas of research, have substantial overlap in material properties, functionalities, and manufacturing. If leveraged correctly, these may present the future of novel solutions addressing nutritional, medical, and environmental challenges in the days ahead.
"…we use the term 'edible robots' when referring to devices that have the forms or functions of non-edible robots, and the term 'robotic food' when referring to devices with forms or functions typical of food." Another noteworthy limitation is the lack of clinical validation of the safety of edible robotics. While most materials under development are digestible and therefore assumed to be 'safe' for human or animal consumption, the current scarcity of prototype robot foods prevents clinical trials from explicitly verifying their safety in biological/model systems.