China’s new 3D printer employs graphene, AI to build and cook food simultaneously
The 3D food printer, developed by researchers from Hong Kong, uses infrared heating to contain bacterial formation and ensure food safety, while consuming just 14 watts of power.
Researchers at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed a new 3D printer to make food layer by layer using graphene and artificial intelligence (AI). The 3D printer can create complex edible structures and features precision infrared heating to maximize product quality and safety.
This combination helps overcome some significant flaws with other existing automated food production techniques, including issues with food safety and the general need for technical expertise oversight. The former is a substantial concern as current 3D printers tend to create food in two significant steps.
The first involves extruding some cold food paste to make the item. This is then typically transferred to an oven or fryer for cooking and sterilization. While functional, this approach often results in deformed shapes and increased contamination risks as the food moves between machines. The new 3D printer, however, integrates these separate steps into one as it is capable of building and cooking the food simultaneously.