In 2006 I posted about an interesting new tech that printed bacon using a simple inkjet printer. It’s now 2010 and printable food is well on its way to becoming a product. Allow me to introduce the Digital Fabricator by MIT.
Welcome to The Jetsons, bitches.
The Digital Fabricator is a personal, three-dimensional printer for food, which works by storing, precisely mixing, depositing and cooking layers of ingredients. Its cooking process starts with an array of food canisters, which refrigerate and store a user’s favorite ingredients. These are piped into a mixer and extruder head that can accurately deposit elaborate food combinations with sub-millimeter precision. While the deposition takes place, the food is heated or cooled by the Fabricator’s chamber or the heating and cooling tubes located on the printing head. This fabrication process not only allows for the creation of flavors and textures that would be completely unimaginable through other cooking techniques, but, through a touch-screen interface and web connectivity, also allows users to have ultimate control over the origin, quality, nutritional value and taste of every meal.
While this is still “conceptual” (meaning it’s not for you and me) both Philips and Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories are working on making it into a product.
I’m looking forward to a few things here, not the least of which is printable food.
1. Various copyright fights from cookbook manufacturers. How will the Julia Child estate feel about her recipes being copied and used? Will Apple produce its own digital fabricator and then charge people for recipes at their iFood store? If they do, I bet the Macheads still worship Jobs and figure he’s doing them a favor.
2. Clever people figuring out how to use this device to manufacture explosives and drugs then sharing those recipes and modifications online. The anarchist cookbook might have a much more literal meaning.
3. Computer viruses that infect your fabricator and creates food that will get you high or poison you. This might be that hippie dream of spiking the water supply come true.
4. Massive government bailouts to help suddenly unemployed farm animals.
5. Foursquare of Food — “I just cooked bacon and eggs.” ”I am now the mayor of chocolate.” — and the amazing obesity that such competition will engender.
The future looks bright, friends.
