Just when you thought that you couldn’t 3D print your own any-shape pasta, spaghetti slinger Barilla has announced plans to put a 3D pasta printer in every restaurant over the course of the next several years. The company has been working for two years with Dutch research organization, TNO, to develop a 3D pasta printer for custom noodle fabrication.
TNO, which is also the organization responsible for the Netherlands’ defense research, has been working with 3D printing for many years, including in the field of customizable implants. Most recently, though, TNO made an impact at Euromold 2013 demonstrating its 3D printed food objects.
The Dutch organization is working with the world’s top pasta seller towards the aim of 3D printing 15-20 pieces of pasta every two minutes. TNO’s project leader, Kjeld van Bommel explained how Guests will be able to bring their own pasta designs. For example, you could surprise your wife with pasta in the shape of a rose for your marriage anniversary. You can simply save your design on a USB and bring it to the restaurant. A 3D food printer there will then print it on site.
Barilla hopes to sell its own dough cartridges, modelling itself after 2D printer businesses, with which the spaghetti can be manufactured.
TNO’s visions of printed food, however, are somewhat more complex. Having already experimented with a variety of 3D printing techniques to produce the stuff, TNO believes that various, healthier ingredients can be incorporated into meals via 3D printing so as to ensure a well-rounded, and ecologically sustainable diet as the following video explains…
