
Ambitious project aims to teleport delicious sushi right in front of you.
Ever since 3D printing became a thing, mankind has speculated if there’s a way to replicate food in both tastes and looks. After all, that piece of hyper realistic-looking chicken wing might as well be a piece of decoration if you can’t eat it, right?
And now Team Open Meals aims to use that technology to usher in a new era of experiencing food. The concept revolves around a sushi chef making a piece of mouthwatering sushi which gets scanned and subsequently replicated at another location using their revolutionary Pixel Food Printer.
▼ The future of food is here.
So how will it work? Scanning food is a relatively simple process, but recreating it is what the team is currently pouring all its efforts into.
Like its namesake, the Pixel Food Printer stacks tiny 5-millimeter cubes of colored, flavored gelatin in the shape of scanned food. Ultra-precision machinery ensures that all the cubes go to the right places.
▼ Here’s a video of an experiment using acrylic cubes.
▼ With professional showmanship coursing through its wires,
the robot flourishes a cube for audiences to examine.
After assembling the acrylic pixel sushi, the incredibly polite robot sets down a mock cup of green tea and gives the dish a gentle push towards the customer before giving one last bow.
What a courteous machine! Why, if I had a robot child, I would send it to Team Open Meals for education without a second thought.
▼ Unfortunately, the slippery texture of actual gelatin cubes
is a bit of a challenge for the machine.
Sure it may feel like you’re munching a bunch of cubes right now, but the team hopes to one day shrink the cubes to 3 millimeter and 1 millimeter sizes for more accurate reproduction.
Although it seems like a page out of a science fiction novel, perhaps one day humankind will be able to print out delicious pizzas or delectable desserts shared on social media.
Japan is already a master at duplicating food in plastic form, and with Team Open Meals spearheading their ambitious projects, such futuristic dreams could very well turn into reality.
Source: OPEN MEALS, FOOD BASE, ウェブ電通報
Images: YouTube/Team Open Meals
[ Read in Japanese ]



New limited-edition 3-D printed Japanese sweets designed with weather data now available in Tokyo
Japan’s new beer glass is designed to force you to drink…water [Video]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
This beautiful rural Japan river is a great alternative to touristy summer retreats [Photos]
Kumamoto earthquake may have created Japan’s newest hot spring inside flooded restaurant [Video]
Beautiful Totoro bonsai figure needs no watering, makes soothing rain showers whenever you want
End of a manga era as Weekly Shonen Jump’s circulation drops under one million
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Japanese convenience store food gets turned into hyper-realistic stationery you can peel open
Tired of city life? Try out Japanese rural life for a few days on an active volcano in Kagoshima
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Anime fan in Japan arrested for ordering and cancelling over 4.3 billion yen in anime merch
7-Eleven Japan adds new chocolate fruit gummies to its sweets range, but are they worth the hype?
Starbucks Japan teams up with Traveler’s Company for new stationery and goods collection
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Cup Noodle unveils first-ever cold-water instant ramen in Japan
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】