An international team of researchers has combined robotics and gastronomy to create a cake with edible ingredients and the world’s first rechargeable edible battery. Researchers from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have formed a team of pastry chefs and scientists to create RoboCake, which is currently on display at Expo 2025 in Osaka. The cake is topped with edible robotic bears, said to taste like pomegranate-flavored candy, which have an internal system that provides movement for their limbs and head.
“The robotic cake is like a wedding cake. On top of the cake we have two dancing bears and chocolate batteries. The chocolate batteries are used to power some candles. The consistency, taste and aroma of the dancing robotic bears and the chocolate batteries were created by the pastry chefs of the Hospitality School in Lausanne.”
To power the LED candles on the cake, researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology built the first rechargeable edible battery, made from vitamin B2, quercetin, activated carbon and dark chocolate. “We demonstrated the first rechargeable edible battery with a cover made entirely of chocolate.” By replacing traditional electronics, the researchers say these components could help address the 40 million tons of annual electronic waste, while the fully consumable parts would reduce food waste. Future applications include “smart pills” for health monitoring,
“We see a potential application of edible electronics for health monitoring. In our case, we are focused on developing smart pills that can be safely ingested and degrade inside the body after performing their function.”
Other projects also include environmental monitoring, with edible robots assessing water or soil quality while providing food for wildlife. “We are developing fully biodegradable and edible robots that can be used for environmental monitoring, for example, water pollution, soil quality. The advantage of our edible robots is that during their lifespan or at the end of their operation, they can also provide food for animals that exist in these environments and can be attracted by these mobile robots.”
The cake is part of the four-year, €3.5 million RoboFood Project, which brings together food scientists and robotics experts to create edible items that go beyond novelty. It remains to be seen whether the world is ready for “smart food.” Edible robots could be used to deliver food to vulnerable areas, deliver medicine in innovative ways to people who have difficulty swallowing, or even monitor food. This project paves the way for interactive and delicious gastronomic experiences, reminding us that food is a precious resource and perhaps reducing overeating.
