PancakeBot Is a 3D Printer That Draws Edible Pancakes

A world in which you sleep in on a long weekend and wake up to a robot making you pancakes is closer than you might think.

Meet PancakeBot, a 3D printer that creates pancakes in different shapes and sizes. Miguel Valenzuela is the man behind the invention. Valenzuela thought of the idea in 2010 after reading an article about a pancake-stamping machine made of Legos pieces. When the Norway resident shared the idea with his daughters, they became very excited. Valenzuela spent the next six months perfecting the first version of PancakeBot. A number of media outlets covered the device after he posted a video on YouTube.

In 2012, the PancakeBot came to the U.S., appearing at the World Maker Faire in New York. A year later, Valenzuela began working on a non-Legos version. This rendition of the PancakeBot is made of acrylic and features two motors, a microcontroller board, and a vacuum pump for batter control. The new take on his invention debuted last weekend at the Bay Area Maker Faire in San Mateo, Calif.

A demo video on YouTube shows the latest version of the PancakeBot in action. While we have not tasted anything made by the machine, the Eiffel Tower drawn in pancake batter shows that PancakeBot can create incredible detail in its creations.

And in a world in which there are many types of kitchen appliances, there is also room for two versions of PancakeBot. The acrylic model will be marketed for kitchen use, while Valenzuela hopes to teach children about engineering with the machine built from Lego pieces.