YUMMIE! 3D PRINTED INSECTS

Mar 5, 2014

Menno van Doorn

Most people don’t like the idea of crunching cockroaches or sibling earthworms. On the other hand, eating insects is good for you and for our planet too. If only these creatures wouldn’t look that scary. Well, there is a solution. It’s called “Insects au gratin”. You first mash the insects and then put them in a 3D-printer and design them any way you like.

Insects are tremendously efficient at converting vegetation into edible protein. 100 kg of feed produces 40 kg of crickets, but only 10 kg of beef. Insects Au Gratin is looking for new ways of consuming insects and debates the nutritive and environmental aspects of insects as human food. This is how it works, a 3D-printing project done by Susana Soares:

Soares work explores the implications for design of the current technological redesign of nature. Her projects involve developing collaborative frameworks between design and emerging scientific research. She is currently based in London, UK and is a Senior Lecturer at London South Bank University.

About the author

Menno van Doorn

Director and Trend Analyst VINT | Netherlands

Menno is Director of the Sogeti Research Institute for the Analysis of New Technology (VINT). He mixes personal life experiences with the findings of the 19 years of research done at the VINT Research Institute. Menno has co-authored many books on the impact of new technology on business and society.

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