One thing I could never deny myself: chocolate. I absolutely love the stuff. Now Dutch design studio Michiel Cornelissen Ontwerp is bringing something delicious to the 3D printing industry. XOCO is a 3D printer that can create customised objects in chocolate, aimed at innovative restaurants, serious hobby cooks and their guests. Personally I want about 5 of them, for a never ending supply of delicious sweets in gorgeous designs.
The XOCO 3D printer is based on a polar coordinate system with a rotating build plate and a single pillar from which both printhead and glass cover are suspended. Everything in the design contributes to giving the process of printing a visually open impression, adding to the experience of creating your customised sweets. Special attention is given to the interactive aspect of the process with a glanceable multicolour LED ring guiding the user through the printing process.
The design was conceived of in contrast to existing, more technically geared 3D food printers. As the Dutch design firm explains, “Current 3D printers are usually technical, business-like objects, and with this project we wanted to show that also in this category it is possible to create a product which not only works great, but feels right in the food-centred environments where it is intended for.”
All elements of the XOCO ecosystem of product, graphics, interaction, app and consumables contribute to a perfect creative experience for cooks and their guests.
XOCO is currently still in the conceptual development stages, but I’m starting to get hungry already. What would you print with chocolate?
Lauren Christine
Alanna Olson
Ho Mark