To serve man burritos

If there is one thing our eventual robot overlords (will) have taught us, it's that everybody needs to eat. Whether it be bolts for the robots or burritos for their fleshy subjects, sustenance is required for all moving parts no matter the form.

While the not-so-distant future holds many questions regarding robot-human relations, at least for now they still willingly do our bidding. Our burrito-building bidding, that is.

The Burritob0t is a food printer designed by (human) Marko Manriquez. Conceived as a thesis requirement for the graduate program at NYU-ITP, the project is constructed using mostly open-source hardware and software. The complete details are documented and presented on the tech section of burritob0t.net.

Meant to be more of a statement on the food industry rather than an actual product (although he does say a Kickstarter page is forthcoming), the Burritob0t uses syringes to extrude ingredients onto a waiting platform. As long as ingredients are a paste-like consistency, the machine can handle dispensing them. The whole contraption is to be controlled via an app designed for a mobile phone or tablet.

While the device offers a starting point in the conversation for the mechanization of food, Mr. Manriquez does envision a future where the Burritob0t can help "revolutionize the way we engage with food." Meanwhile, for the time being we all know there is no substitute for human hands and heart when cooking -- but it's probably not a good idea to let the robots know that.