Recently, at the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, a three-tiered wedding cake called "RoboCake" attracted the attention of many visitors. Not only does the cake look great, but it also combines the latest achievements in robotics and food science, showcasing the innovative applications of edible robots and chocolate batteries. China Exportsemi will interpret the technical details and innovative significance of the product for you in detail.
1.RoboCake: The cross-border integration of technology and food
RoboCake is part of the EU-funded RoboFood project, developed by researchers and bakers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL). The project aims to explore the combination of robotics and food science to develop edible robots and smart foods.
RoboCake is topped with two pomegranate-flavored gummy bear robots made of gelatin, syrup and food coloring, with an integrated pneumatic system capable of head and arm movement by injecting air. Embedded in the bottom of the cake are edible rechargeable batteries made of chocolate, vitamin B2, quercetin and activated charcoal to power the LED candles on the cake.
Photo: The "RoboCake" cake of the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka is eye-catching
2.Technical details: Edible battery with pneumatic system
The edible rechargeable battery developed by the researchers at IIT uses vitamin B2 and quercetin as electrode materials, activated carbon as a conductive medium, and chocolate as a carrier. Not only are these batteries safe to eat, but they also provide 0.65 volts, which is enough to light LED candles. It has been reported that the first thing you feel when eating is the taste of dark chocolate, followed by a subtle irritation from the electrolytes.
Pictured: The chocolate battery is edible and can also provide 0.65 volts to light LED candles
The movement of the gummy bear robot relies on the pneumatic system inside. By injecting air into a preset airway, the robot is able to achieve a head and arm swing to create a "dancing" effect. This design not only adds to the fun of the cake, but also demonstrates the potential of pneumatic drives in edible robots.
Figure: The movement of the gummy bear robot relies on the pneumatic system inside
3.Application prospects: from entertainment to medical
RoboCake is not only a crossover attempt between technology and food, but also demonstrates the potential of edible robots in multiple fields. For example, in the medical field, edible robots can be used to deliver drugs to patients or animals who have difficulty swallowing; In the field of food safety, edible sensors can be used to monitor the freshness of food; In the field of emergency rescue, edible robots can be used to deliver food and medicine to disaster areas.
Professor Dario Floreano, Head of EPFL's Intelligent Systems Lab and Coordinator of the RoboFood Project, said: "Robotics and food are two different worlds. However, there are many benefits to bringing them together, especially when it comes to limiting e-waste and food waste.”
4.Challenges and prospects
Although RoboCake demonstrates the great potential of edible robotics, there are still many challenges to achieving its large-scale application. The editor of China Overseas Semiconductor Network believes that, first of all, how to ensure the safety and stability of edible robots is a key issue; Secondly, how to achieve complex functions while ensuring edibility is also a technical problem. In addition, public acceptance of eating food containing electronic components needs to be further improved.
However, with the continuous development of materials science, food science, and robotics, these challenges are expected to be overcome gradually. Edible robots are expected to play an important role in the future in the fields of medical treatment, food safety, emergency rescue, etc., and become an important part of smart food technology.
5.Conclusion
As a representative work of edible robot technology, RoboCake not only demonstrates the perfect integration of technology and food, but also provides new ideas and directions for the development of intelligent food technology. In the future, with the continuous maturity of related technologies and the continuous expansion of application scenarios, edible robots are expected to play an important role in many fields and promote smart food technology to new heights.
