NASA awards grant for 3-D food printer

What was it called on Star trek?

replicator	91.3%	[ 21 ]
computer	0.0%	[ 0 ]
Refiger	0.0%	[ 0 ]
machine	4.3%	[ 1 ]
due hickie	4.3%	[ 1 ]
Core reactor	0.0%	[ 0 ]
vulcan	0.0%	[ 0 ]
warp speed	0.0%	[ 0 ]
Total Votes:			[ 23 ]

[PantheaMarlon]

Call it food for thought. Or perhaps thought for food: NASA has given a six-month grant to a company developing what could be the world’s first 3-D food printer. And the project’s developer, reports Quartz, an online digital news site, believes the invention could be used to end world hunger.

Quartz explains that the printer is the brainchild of mechanical engineer Anjan Contractor. Being developed by Contractor’s company, Systems & Materials Research Corp., it will use proteins, carbohydrates and sugars to create edible food products.

Contractor says one of his primary motivations is a belief that food will become exponentially more expensive in the near future. The average consumer, he told Quartz, will need a more economically viable option.

Some alternative food source options that may be used with the printer include algae, duckweed, grass, lupine seeds, beet leaves and even insects, according to TNO Research, which is working with Contractor on the project.

“I think, and many economists think, that current food systems can’t supply 12 billion people sufficiently,” said Contractor. “So we eventually have to change our perception of what we see as food.”

One of Contractor’s first prototypes will be a 3-D pizza printer, and he hopes to begin building it over the next couple of weeks. Contractor, reports Quartz, explained that it will print "a layer of dough, which is baked at the same time it’s printed, by a heated plate at the bottom of the printer. Then it lays down a tomato base, 'which is also stored in a powdered form, and then mixed with water and oil.'" Lastly comes the "protein layer."

Contractor also hopes that people will be able to share recipes via an open source coding system.

“One of the major advantages of a 3-D printer is that it provides personalized nutrition,” Contractor told Quartz. “If you’re male, female, someone is sick—they all have different dietary needs. If you can program your needs into a 3-D printer, it can print exactly the nutrients that person requires.”

NASA is certainly a believer: The six-month grant comes to $125,000. The agency specifically interested in using the 3-D printer to feed astronauts on long space voyages.

“Long distance space travel requires 15-plus years of shelf life,” Contractor said to Quartz. “The way we are working on it is, all the carbs, proteins and macro and micro nutrients are in powder form. We take moisture out, and in that form it will last maybe 30 years.”





Star trek moment

[David2074]

The concept of storing food dry and automatically rehydrating / assembling it sounds practical but the 'food printer' angle just sounds like they are trying too hard to 'sci-fi' it. The basic concept has been around for decades in those machines that give you your choice of - a shitty cup of instant - coffee, tea, cocoa or chicken soup.

While this sounds practical for NASA I fail to see how this is going to end world hunger. You still need the carbs and proteins to put into the food. There are already machines that make pizzas and a whole slew of other food products - just by a slightly different manner and most likely much faster. In areas where starvation is an issue they are unlikely to be able to afford food printers or have places to plug it in. A more practical solution would be having powdered carbs / proteins and such and just manually stirring them together with some water and baking them. Or not cooking them at all depending on the substances. Starving people are more interested in staying alive than whether their carbs and protein are shaped like a pizza.

[Hypnotic Hyena]

Yeaaaaaah while I think it's a cool idea I don't see how this could end world hunger at all.

[Pessimist]

David2074

The concept of storing food dry and automatically rehydrating / assembling it sounds practical but the 'food printer' angle just sounds like they are trying too hard to 'sci-fi' it. The basic concept has been around for decades in those machines that give you your choice of - a shitty cup of instant - coffee, tea, cocoa or chicken soup.

While this sounds practical for NASA I fail to see how this is going to end world hunger. You still need the carbs and proteins to put into the food. There are already machines that make pizzas and a whole slew of other food products - just by a slightly different manner and most likely much faster. In areas where starvation is an issue they are unlikely to be able to afford food printers or have places to plug it in. A more practical solution would be having powdered carbs / proteins and such and just manually stirring them together with some water and baking them. Or not cooking them at all depending on the substances. Starving people are more interested in staying alive than whether their carbs and protein are shaped like a pizza.

Based on the other article in the forum, they're thinking of using less palatable sources of protein, like algae and insects. Is terrible chicken soup better or worse then picking locust out of your teeth?

[A mali]

Thinks of new reality TV shows based on the printer.

Space Kitchen Wars?

[UNSUB]

Hmmm...replicates a turkey leg using printer and turkey stem cells. Maybe create an all white meat chicken meal for health buffs?

Or maybe, print out a delicious-looking steak but it's actually made from broccoli or maybe some cheaper more nutritious substitute. No need to eat bland looking stuff. I'd like to see exciting looking dishes.

Hope to see those in the future.

In other news...
Maybe some day they can combine the 3-D printer and stem cells to print out replacement parts for human and animal body parts.

[David2074]

Pessimist

David2074

The concept of storing food dry and automatically rehydrating / assembling it sounds practical but the 'food printer' angle just sounds like they are trying too hard to 'sci-fi' it. The basic concept has been around for decades in those machines that give you your choice of - a shitty cup of instant - coffee, tea, cocoa or chicken soup.

While this sounds practical for NASA I fail to see how this is going to end world hunger. You still need the carbs and proteins to put into the food. There are already machines that make pizzas and a whole slew of other food products - just by a slightly different manner and most likely much faster. In areas where starvation is an issue they are unlikely to be able to afford food printers or have places to plug it in. A more practical solution would be having powdered carbs / proteins and such and just manually stirring them together with some water and baking them. Or not cooking them at all depending on the substances. Starving people are more interested in staying alive than whether their carbs and protein are shaped like a pizza.

Based on the other article in the forum, they're thinking of using less palatable sources of protein, like algae and insects. Is terrible chicken soup better or worse then picking locust out of your teeth?

Well, I figured whether it is bugs or beef it will be dried and then finely ground / powdered to be able to work in a 'printer'. Personally I don't see even the pizza they described as bearing much resemblance to a pizza you would go downtown and buy. I've never eaten locusts but I know some cultures do. If i was some place where they were eating them I'd try one but I have no desire to go catch a grasshopper in my yard and pop it in my mouth..

Time will tell I guess but I think the vision of the folks working on it are a bit overly optimistic.

[guy30]

David2074

The concept of storing food dry and automatically rehydrating / assembling it sounds practical but the 'food printer' angle just sounds like they are trying too hard to 'sci-fi' it. The basic concept has been around for decades in those machines that give you your choice of - a shitty cup of instant - coffee, tea, cocoa or chicken soup.

While this sounds practical for NASA I fail to see how this is going to end world hunger. You still need the carbs and proteins to put into the food. There are already machines that make pizzas and a whole slew of other food products - just by a slightly different manner and most likely much faster. In areas where starvation is an issue they are unlikely to be able to afford food printers or have places to plug it in. A more practical solution would be having powdered carbs / proteins and such and just manually stirring them together with some water and baking them. Or not cooking them at all depending on the substances. Starving people are more interested in staying alive than whether their carbs and protein are shaped like a pizza.

they will make the powders out of insect powder and alge, then reconstitute it to look like food, more than enough to go around.

[David2074]

guy30

David2074

The concept of storing food dry and automatically rehydrating / assembling it sounds practical but the 'food printer' angle just sounds like they are trying too hard to 'sci-fi' it. The basic concept has been around for decades in those machines that give you your choice of - a shitty cup of instant - coffee, tea, cocoa or chicken soup.

While this sounds practical for NASA I fail to see how this is going to end world hunger. You still need the carbs and proteins to put into the food. There are already machines that make pizzas and a whole slew of other food products - just by a slightly different manner and most likely much faster. In areas where starvation is an issue they are unlikely to be able to afford food printers or have places to plug it in. A more practical solution would be having powdered carbs / proteins and such and just manually stirring them together with some water and baking them. Or not cooking them at all depending on the substances. Starving people are more interested in staying alive than whether their carbs and protein are shaped like a pizza.

they will make the powders out of insect powder and alge, then reconstitute it to look like food, more than enough to go around.

That assumes that -
1. It's easy to gather enough insects and algae to feed the world and
2. That powdered and reconstituted that will taste like acceptable food.

I've eaten algae wafers. They are pretty nasty. My friend and I made the inevitable soylent green jokes. And we both like dried seaweed. But that stuff tasted like survival food. I'd eat it if I had to in order to survive but I don't think adding ground up bugs would make it taste better.

But hey, if they mange to make something healthy and palatable and affordable - great!

[guy30]

David2074

guy30

David2074

The concept of storing food dry and automatically rehydrating / assembling it sounds practical but the 'food printer' angle just sounds like they are trying too hard to 'sci-fi' it. The basic concept has been around for decades in those machines that give you your choice of - a shitty cup of instant - coffee, tea, cocoa or chicken soup.

While this sounds practical for NASA I fail to see how this is going to end world hunger. You still need the carbs and proteins to put into the food. There are already machines that make pizzas and a whole slew of other food products - just by a slightly different manner and most likely much faster. In areas where starvation is an issue they are unlikely to be able to afford food printers or have places to plug it in. A more practical solution would be having powdered carbs / proteins and such and just manually stirring them together with some water and baking them. Or not cooking them at all depending on the substances. Starving people are more interested in staying alive than whether their carbs and protein are shaped like a pizza.

they will make the powders out of insect powder and alge, then reconstitute it to look like food, more than enough to go around.

That assumes that -
1. It's easy to gather enough insects and algae to feed the world and
2. That powdered and reconstituted that will taste like acceptable food.

I've eaten algae wafers. They are pretty nasty. My friend and I made the inevitable soylent green jokes. And we both like dried seaweed. But that stuff tasted like survival food. I'd eat it if I had to in order to survive but I don't think adding ground up bugs would make it taste better.

But hey, if they mange to make something healthy and palatable and affordable - great!

I didn't say anything about it tasting like real food.

[David2074]

guy30

David2074

guy30

David2074

The concept of storing food dry and automatically rehydrating / assembling it sounds practical but the 'food printer' angle just sounds like they are trying too hard to 'sci-fi' it. The basic concept has been around for decades in those machines that give you your choice of - a shitty cup of instant - coffee, tea, cocoa or chicken soup.

While this sounds practical for NASA I fail to see how this is going to end world hunger. You still need the carbs and proteins to put into the food. There are already machines that make pizzas and a whole slew of other food products - just by a slightly different manner and most likely much faster. In areas where starvation is an issue they are unlikely to be able to afford food printers or have places to plug it in. A more practical solution would be having powdered carbs / proteins and such and just manually stirring them together with some water and baking them. Or not cooking them at all depending on the substances. Starving people are more interested in staying alive than whether their carbs and protein are shaped like a pizza.

they will make the powders out of insect powder and alge, then reconstitute it to look like food, more than enough to go around.

That assumes that -
1. It's easy to gather enough insects and algae to feed the world and
2. That powdered and reconstituted that will taste like acceptable food.

I've eaten algae wafers. They are pretty nasty. My friend and I made the inevitable soylent green jokes. And we both like dried seaweed. But that stuff tasted like survival food. I'd eat it if I had to in order to survive but I don't think adding ground up bugs would make it taste better.

But hey, if they mange to make something healthy and palatable and affordable - great!

I didn't say anything about it tasting like real food.

I stand corrected. You said look like. Somehow I took that to imply taste like as well. smile

[Aliyah_Sweet]

Copper Shenanigans

Yeaaaaaah while I think it's a cool idea I don't see how this could end world hunger at all.

Thought the same thing and doubt the replica food will have the same nutrients that a person would need.

[Laramie Sweet]

Aliyah_Sweet

Copper Shenanigans

Yeaaaaaah while I think it's a cool idea I don't see how this could end world hunger at all.

Thought the same thing and doubt the replica food will have the same nutrients that a person would need.

That's what she said

[Jeremy Kaji]

It should be interesting and I can see why NASA would be interesting. food that can be literally printed to a plate while in a long space voyage would be very useful. Space saving too. Then again since everything space launch wise is now privatized I question what NASA is really doing anymore beyond being maybe mission control, a museum, and safe launch pads for the Privately funded launches.

[Hypnotic Hyena]

Aliyah_Sweet

Copper Shenanigans

Yeaaaaaah while I think it's a cool idea I don't see how this could end world hunger at all.

Thought the same thing and doubt the replica food will have the same nutrients that a person would need.

The only thing I can imagine this being useful for is rather for commercial use. Even for NASA's use I would think that they would need synthetic gravity for the food to even stay put together.