For his thesis project, Marko Manriquez, “a maker, interactive designer and foodie of all things delicious,” has created a robot that prints “a 3D edible extrusion combining a blend of digital fabrication and gastronomy.” That is the least appetizing possible way of saying “it makes a burrito.” Ladies and gents, we present, the Burritob0t:
Why a burrito? Well, there’s the practical explanation, according to Manriquez:
Burritos are a natural choice because most of their ingredients are easily extrudable.
What’s that again?
Extrude — to shape (as metal or plastic) by forcing through a die. Remember when you were a kid and you pushed PlayDough through pre-cut holes (e.g. stars, rainbows, etc.) sculpting crazy shapes? Well, you were extruding 3d objects, even back then. Good for you!
There’s also a fancy explanation. Burritos dredge up ideas about fast food, assembly lines, the environmental consequences of quick consumption, and nutritional values.
But we know what you’re really curious about. Does it taste good?
Not quite yet to be honest.
Here’s a hint why:
So unfortunately, ingredients like lettuce, or chunky bits of meat or salsa are not going to extrude out of a tiny 18 gauge syringe hole. You’re just not going to get that desired mouth feel of carne asada.
If you don’t have an image for “18 gauge,” think “slightly larger than a standard earring.” So, yeah. Meat threads.
Luckily, Burritob0t can do a better job of making people think twice about mass-produced food if the food it creates is gross. Otherwise they’d just be thinking “burrito robot, fuck yes, I have to get me one of these,” which would probably defeat the purpose.
