Bored of the same old ice cream bars and cones? A new machine that can produce amazing 3D-shaped ice creams for your kids in flat 15 minutes is here now.
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have put together a 3D printer that can produce ice cream in any shape.
"First, we needed to print into a cooled environment so that the ice cream would hold its shape once printed," Kyle Hounsell, an MIT student, explained.
Along with Kristine Bunker and David Kim, he built a cooling system using liquid nitrogen to fix the ice cream in place as it was squirted out of the 3D printer's nozzle.
The instant cooling allowed the printer to build up ice cream layers just as a traditional 3D printer squirts down layers of plastic.
The students then had to balance the accuracy and printing resolution of the printer with the speed of printing, as a 30-minute wait for ice cream is too long for some, the Guardian reported.
"We imagine this technology being marketable in ice cream parlours where customers can order an ice cream treat, wait 15 minutes, and see the shape they chose be created," said another student.