RoboCake serves as both an edible dessert and a technological wonder that exists as a consumable product. The edible batteries within this dancing, blinking, chocolate-flavored cake serve as a boundary-crossing device between robotics and food. Through the EU-funded RoboFood project, RoboCake emerged through joint development between EPFL’s Laboratory of Intelligent Systems and the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) and culinary experts from École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL).
The two gelatin- and syrup-based gummy bear robots of RoboCake are currently displayed at Expo 2025 Osaka. The robots operate through internal air systems and deliver a pomegranate gummy taste. The research team at EPFL describes these robots as “soft, sweet, and animated,” according to Bokeon Kwak.
The cake includes edible rechargeable batteries that use vitamin B2 together with quercetin, activated carbon, and dark chocolate. The special power cells within the edible device function as LED candles and serve as safe food components. The edible power cells begin with chocolate before producing a quick, tangy reaction that ends the meal, according to IIT PhD student Valerio Galli.
RoboCake demonstrates a sustainable future where food technology unites to minimize waste beyond being just a novelty. Dario Floreano, who leads LIS at EPFL, stated that edible robots could serve medical delivery functions as well as monitor food freshness and provide disaster relief support.
The scientific breakthrough needed to be delicious to the taste. The team developed an innovative yet indulgent cake under the direction of MOF pastry chef Julien Boutonnet. Boutonnet emphasized that the robotic pastry serves as a performance rather than being limited to its pastry function.
Through RoboCake we must rethink our food interactions, which should happen at a slow pace and with mindful attention while being sustainable. The future holds promise for robots to become the tastiest solution for planet conservation.
