6 Times Food And Technology Blended Into Awesome Inventions
We’ve been hearing about smart homes for a while now — bombarded with news about the latest and greatest appliances, especially for the kitchen— but what about other instances where food and the way we eat has been hurled into the future thanks to technology and innovation.
Indulge in these 6 instances where technology made its way into the food sector and the results were pretty cool.
Hershey’s chocolate got even better when the company revealed its CocoJet 3D printer at the end of 2014. Now the company is taking the printer on the road across the U.S. to show off what it can do. Bystanders will be able to scroll through 3D graphics on an iPad to choose a design that will be printed completely in chocolate. It’s even possible to upload your own designs and print something totally custom.
While there’s no real groundbreaking technology behind this invention, its creators did turn a technology staple into a delicious breakfast. After launching a more-than-successful Kickstarter campaign last year, you can now finally purchase the keyboard waffle iron for $85.
3. Electrolux, AEG Connected Steam Oven (with integrated camera)
Why wouldn’t you need a camera in your oven? Earlier this month, Electrolux revealed a new addition to its kitchen appliance family. An AEG steam oven that is equipped with a CookView camera that provides a live feed directly from the oven to your mobile device. Using the mobile app (Wi-Fi required) you can take a look at what’s going on inside your oven even when you aren’t there.
In 2017, consumers will be privy to kitchen robot developed by Moley Robotics. The Moley kitchen system includes robotic arms, oven, hob, and touchscreen unit and is operated via touch screen or remotely using a smartphone. When it’s not being used, the robotic arms retract from view. The chef will come equipped with multiple joints, numerous actuated degrees of freedom, tactile sensors, and sophisticated control systems and will be able to download a recipe from an iTunes’ style library and reproduce it “exactly as the MasterChef would have cooked it, wherever you are in the world,” according to the company.
Thanks to technology you can now make your cocktails the same way you make your Keurig-style coffee — by popping in a pod and letting the machine do the work in an instant.
The creators of the Bartesian cocktail machine started their Keurig-like cocktail machine off with six mixed drinks: Cosmopolitan, Margarita, Bartesian Breeze, Zest Martini, Uptown Rocks, and Sex on the Beach that come in “pod” or capsule form (even includes a variety of fresh juice concentrates, non-alcoholic liqueurs, and bitters).To use, you just pop a capsule into the machine, choose a beverage strength, and then the Bartesian mixes up your cocktail. You can pre-order a Bartesian now for $299.00 with estimated delivery in April 2016, just in-time for summer.
6. The Ripple Maker: Latte art machine
This year at CE Week, guests weren’t drinking ordinary cups of coffee. Instead, they visited a high-tech barista, The Ripple Maker, a cross between a 3D and inkjet printer, was churning out lattes topped off with replicas of pretty much any image you could think of. (See Ripple’s Twitter page for daily latte-art creations).
There have been a plethora of other instances where technology and food collided including robotic burger-flippers, robots that milk cows, and even RaspberryPi-powered microwaves that cook (you’ll never guess) raspberry pies.
Let us know what you think of these. Do you want any of them in your home?
