The breakfast table could get a lot more fun for those who invest in the PancakeBot, a 3D printer whose medium is pancake batter.
Currently in the funding phase on Kickstarter, where, at more than $145,000 in pledges, it's far surpassed its $50,000 goal with more than three weeks still to go, the PancakeBot is conceived to let you design your own pancake shapes, then "print" them out and serve them up.
Compressed air and a vacuum are the device's main components, while corresponding software, said to be user-friendly, lets creative cooks trace an image -- a work of art, a character, your own drawing, the Eiffel Tower -- and control the order in which the lines are drawn so that shading is just right.
The files can be saved so that old favourites can be brought out for many breakfasts to come.
Norway resident Miguel Valenzuela developed the patent-pending design after having the idea of making a pancake machine out of LEGO for his two daughters. He delved into the project, printing his first successful pancakes after six months of development, at which point he presented his creation at the World Maker Faire in New York.
Improvements followed -- an acrylic version shown at the San Mateo and White House Maker Faires and this new, more advanced version, which is to start shipping in July.
Suggested retail price will be $299; those who pledge now can get a PancakeBot starting at $179.
