I know that we have seen 3D printing for .... stuff ....... but this could be even cooler. Imagine down the road, being able to replicate food on demand, with little or no waste, no food expiring in the fridge, or on the shelf, and so on.
If it was healthy and nutritious, we could use it to feed people in poor areas.
It is amazing some of the advances I have seen in my lifetime, and some that appear to be just on, or over the horizon. I wonder what we'll see next?
Star Trek's food replicator may soon become more science fact than science fiction. Back in May, 2013, NASA -- as it sets its sights on manned missions to Mars -- revealed that it was teaming up with Systems & Materials Research Consultancy (SMRC) on a 3D printer that can produce... food, and more specifically, pizza. SMRC actually won a six-month, $125,000 Small Business Innovation Research Grant from NASA to explore the feasibilty of utilizing 3D-printed food for lengthy space operations.
Austin, Texas-based SMRC, led by senior mechanical engineer and founder Anjan Contractor, went off and created a 3D food printer that utilizes long-lasting powdered ingredients, individual vessels/containers (containing powder, water, oil) and heated plates (on the printer bed) to whip up a mini-pizza in 12 minutes. Contractor notes that additional micro-nutrients can be added.
Next steps include FDA sign-off on the process. If it all pans out, it'll sure beat the freeze-dried stuff astronauts have been dining on for decades. And the implications could be even greater. Consider these words in a statement from SMRC: "By exploring and implementing technologies such as 3-D printing, this may avoid food shortage, inflation, starvation, famine, and even food wars."
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
psh.. i want that microwave from "the fifth element".
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
I could see something like this being a short term fix for something like space travel... but I can't imagine they could ever replicate an actual decent long term diet out of it. So I'm sure they could pump it full of enough chemicals to tell you it's nutritious.. but you just can't replace whole food, the stuff we were supposed to eat.
Secondly, the food producing nations of the world already have enough food to keep the vast majority of the world from going hungry... it's just that politics and logistics prevents us from getting it to them... I bet enough food was wasted in this country yesterday, on super bowl sunday, to feed a small nations hungry people for a week.
Quote: Secondly, the food producing nations of the world already have enough food to keep the vast majority of the world from going hungry... it's just that politics and logistics prevents us from getting it to them... I bet enough food was wasted in this country yesterday, on super bowl sunday, to feed a small nations hungry people for a week.
I realize that this is currently limited to only one product ........ but how much longer will it be until they figure out a uniform "base" that allows a more advanced version of this device to make a far broader menu of foods?
I find the whole thing fascinating.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
So this is essentially a 3D printer that "prints" the equivalent of an MRE (Meal Ready to Excrete) on demand. Much like 3D printers themselves, I don't exactly see a practical demand for this, other than to maybe expand the menu on places where it's difficult to ship and store diverse quantities of food.
A couple major issues with this ...
1) Just like 3D printers, you're going to be extremely limited by what you can "print" ... ingredients have to have long shelf lives and will have to be something that can be stored in a dispensable format. Sure maybe you can print something that tastes like a steak, but it's not going to come have anywhere near the quality or texture of an actual steak ... it's essentially going to print an MRE, which can be mass produced FAR cheaper than by a printer.
2) Even if you can get a decent diverse menu, you're still going to have the same logistical and storage issues you'd have with any other food. This isn't going to solve world hunger by any stretch of the imagination. You still have a large pile of "ingredients" that you would have to deliver and store at the location of the printer. Then wait for the printer to actually print out what you want. Wouldn't it be far easier to order an assorted menu of MRE type meals and just store them until they are ready for consumption?
3) With a printer, you're adding a bottleneck for producing a large amount of food. Say you wanted this for a military operation to feed a large number of troops. We've already established you're going to have to order, deliver and store the same amount of "food" that you would if you have everything already pre-made. Without a printer, you'd just open up the pantry and serve. With a printer, you would have to sit there and wait a couple minutes for each individual thing to "print" out. Not to mention, you've now got a large apparatus that's taking up space and would have to be constantly maintained. What's far more efficient to do?
I think this sort of falls in the same domain as 3D printers themselves ... really cool to look at .... but not a whole lot of practical/economical uses.
Quote: I realize that this is currently limited to only one product ........ but how much longer will it be until they figure out a uniform "base" that allows a more advanced version of this device to make a far broader menu of foods?
I find the whole thing fascinating.
Oh I find it fascinating too and I'm sure they will continue to work and improve it.. but my point is that they aren't likely to ever produce anything that is an equal substitute for a good chicken or fish dinner with steamed rice, broccoli, and a side salad..... and I'm not just talking about taste, I'm talking about overall nutritional value.
You have to start somewhere.....The first Automobile was extremely impractical compared to horse and buggy. They were slower, could not carry as much, Extremely difficult to operate, could not go where horses and buggies could, completely unreliable, and exorbitantly expensive....But look at what we have created today........in comparison the Porsche 918 and the first automobile have only wheels that are round in common...Do you really think that the builders of this think they will be MASS PRODUCING them....no...as far as we know they have a single "possible" buyer....the space program which is looking for a way to save weight on food.
This is a first of MANY steps...did not exactly look appetizing...again...first try...but give it some years....they may be able to make something edible...lol
I thought I was wrong once....but I was mistaken...
What's the use of wearing your lucky rocketship underpants if nobody wants to see them????
Quote: You have to start somewhere.....The first Automobile was extremely impractical compared to horse and buggy. They were slower, could not carry as much, Extremely difficult to operate, could not go where horses and buggies could, completely unreliable, and exorbitantly expensive....But look at what we have created today........in comparison the Porsche 918 and the first automobile have only wheels that are round in common.
Apples and Oranges, imo ... just because some inventions have been expanded on greatly, and have morphed into economically viable solutions, doesn't mean that everything will. At any rate, with the automobile you had a completely new solution that was looking to replace a mode of transportation that had limitations. The first versions of it were obviously going to be slower and more expensive, but you could still see the potential for growth.
With a food processor ... you're looking to replace mass production of food, with the single production of a printer. You're saving very little food storage space and cost, if any, and likely will taking a huge step backward in food quality. The only thing you're doing is taking the option of creating a variety of mass produced food from a factory location, and allowing it to be made on demand at a specific location. That's always going to be a less efficient way of doing it.
Quote: Do you really think that the builders of this think they will be MASS PRODUCING them....no...as far as we know they have a single "possible" buyer....the space program which is looking for a way to save weight on food.
But they AREN'T saving weight on food. You still have to store the ingredients, which isn't saving you any weight at all. In fact you would actually have to have more weight, because you have to store the printer itself. What is more efficient? Mass producing a bunch of food on the ground and shipping it to space ... Or shipping all the ingredients, plus a printer, to space and printing it there?
With new "technologies" I've always seemed to go with three rules to see if this was more of a fad or something that could be big down the road:
1) Does this solve a specific problem?
2) Can it possibly solve this problem more efficiently than current methods?
3) Can it be made more efficient that it already is? (And can you actually do it?)
For example, to borrow from the Sony thread ... 3D Television. Does it really solve a problem? Possibly, but is there really that big of a demand or more importantly, NEED, for people to see movies in 3D? This sort of fails on the first rule.
In contrast, The Kinect. What's the problem? People (kids especially) aren't moving enough and just sit around to play video games. Big problem there! Are there current methods that solve this problem? Well for playing video games, not really. There's the Wii, remote, but that's just limited to hand motions. So another check. Can this be made more efficiently than it already is? Well yes, if we can make something that moves the whole body and create exercise while still playing a game, then yes it could work.
Okay, so for 3D food printers? What's the problem? Food storage? Does this really solve that problem if you have to store ingredients? Food variety on demand? Is that really much of a problem? Time to create food? Is that getting solved? Food quality? That seems to be taking a step backwards here. Question 2 ... can this be done more efficiently that what's already out there? Mass producing varieties of food and sending it where you want to go versus sending the ingredients and making it on demand? Seems like the first method is more efficient. You can't even really get to the third question unless the first two pass with flying colors.
I'm not poo-pooing the technology (well, okay I sort of am) ... but I don't see what problem this is solving.
Actually yes you are saving weight as the powders that create the food weigh less and take up far less space than the real thing...Space is another valuable commodity on a spacecraft. Weight being the first.
And I think my analogy is perfect...you don't think so because you are looking at it with revisionist glasses on. You have seen the history of what it has become and what it has meant to us. But think about what you would have said when you first saw that automobile.....Can't carry nothin in it...can't even go over mud in it...I can walk faster n' it....horses are damn sure cheaper and are might easier to take care of. What happens if I run outta that gasoline???? How many places can I get that gasoline???? Heck My horse gets hungry I take him to the side of the road and he eats....My horse even plows after taking me home.....An just what the heck are all them sticks and levers and stuff??? My horse practically drives himself. Who would buy such a thing and why???
The point is...compared to horses the first automobile was worthless....completely.... as a product for the masses. just as this food printer is. But it was a start and one that went through DRASTIC changes over time to what we use today.
I thought I was wrong once....but I was mistaken...
What's the use of wearing your lucky rocketship underpants if nobody wants to see them????
Quote: Actually yes you are saving weight as the powders that create the food weigh less and take up far less space than the real thing
No it doesn't ... mass is mass. Mixing ingredients isn't going to create more mass out of thin air. The only savings you MIGHT get is in packaging ... but compared to the weight of the printer itself ...
Well, add in the fact that "processed" foods are linked to many cancers - colon cancer especially - (and don't tell me these "ingredients" aren't/won't be "processed)......I'm not sure "printing" food is a good idea.
Shoot, in the length of time it took to print that one pizza, I could've made 1, 2, 3 or more "frozen" pizzas. (all processed foods by the way)
The biggest issue with food for the starving is the money to get it. Am I to believe that all the processing, shipping, storage, and the printer to "print" this food is going to be cheaper than going to the store? It's more efficient? It's healthier? (I bet mrs. obama is about to have a panic attack over this video).
Depending on how these powders are mixed and combined and what chemical reactions take place....you are probably saving weight in the form of water....again...who knows how much water is needed IF ANY...but most of the weight in food is water....But...lets say we don't save weight....we definitely save on space.....so depending on how much space you save....You can carry MORE food per trip not to mention in the case of a space station, you take the thing up once and then have just powder to fly up. meaning LESS FLIGHTS to get the same amount of food up there. Less flights means less money spent. Come on Excl just because you don't like the initial idea...don't tell me you can't possibly envision it's potential. granted it's current form needs work...but again...it is a start.Heck it is basically still in the idea stage of let's see if it is even possible for us to do it much less create a viable system for sale.
I thought I was wrong once....but I was mistaken...
What's the use of wearing your lucky rocketship underpants if nobody wants to see them????
I'm surprised this would even save space on a ship. It seems to me the printer alone would take up more space than neatly stacking little pizzas for them. I guess for a manned mission to mars it might take long enough for it to make a difference.
I see no way that this could solve world hunger. It doesn't produce food out of nothing. You'd still have to send the people the gloop to print into pizzas. So couldn't they just drink the gloop? How is the printer relevant in that equation? That part of this story is just hyperbole relying on the "Star Trek" aspect of this thing. It is a printer....it doesn't create food out of nothing so it can't really be solving any food shortage issues. That's like saying a regular printer is going to solve the world's ink crisis. All it can solve is food quality issues in terms of gloop vs. pretty gloop.
One thing about the equipment is that you need something to heat food with anyway. So, if you don't have this equipment, then you need a freezer and an over of some sort.
I'm not so much excited about where this is today as to where it could be going tomorrow.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
My guess is that Mankind will discover/invent a way of growing/'culturing' food in labs using some combination of cloning/in vitro genesis/genetic engineering by the time prolonged space travel is a reality.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
While quite cool, it's not quite what I had in mind.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
