Apr. 1, 2015 | By Simon
Although mailed ‘care packages’ have been a go-to method for delivering food and gifts to those in the military who are stationed overseas, the soldiers may soon be able to order their own customized pizzas that are delivered by drones thanks to additive manufacturing technologies in the very near future.
According to a team of researchers at the Natick Soldier Systems Center - a United States Army facility - the ‘3D printed’ pizzas would be produced on specially-designed 3D printers and then flown to soldier outposts while still hot.
While the news may not sound as appealing to those who can just as easily walk down their street to pick up a slice of pizza for lunch, many soldiers have historically been limited to less-than-desirable food options while stationed at various outposts such as Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) pizzas that have a shelf life of three years. Natick researchers have even gone so far as to call the development “an unexpected breakthrough”.
"It's great to be able to offer the warfighter a little slice of home with the (previous) MRE pizza," said John Harlow, a supervisory culinary transfer engineer at the military research center. "But we never lost sight of our true goal -- delivering piping hot, complete, custom pizzas to our men and women in the field. Who deserves them more?"
The researchers and food scientists at Natick foresee a near future that includes 3D printing centers for pizza where soldiers can place their orders. Technicians would input ingredient information based on specific orders that would then be 3D printed. Once the pizza has come out of the oven, it would be packed into an insulated bag (which was also developed at Natick) and shipped to the hungry soldier. Similar to existing pizza delivery services, one Army drone pilot adds, “If I can't get it there in a half an hour or less, it's free."
"The technology is taking quantum leaps," said Steve Smith, who heads Natick's 3D Food Printing Directorate. "NASA has really led the way with its research into using 3D printing to provide food for astronauts on interplanetary missions. We were already halfway there with the MRE pizza; our food scientists just took it the rest of the way home."
Although the technology is promising, the Natick researchers don’t expect the first drone pizza delivery to happen until roughly a year from now. However they can certainly count on being in business as soon as they open up shop.
"I can't wait to see that first drone coming in for a landing carrying that box," said U.S. Army Pfc. Tommy Kean.
"Last night, I dreamt about a hamburger-mushroom pizza."
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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You all do see the date this article came out, correct?
eric wrote at 4/3/2015 11:46:47 AM:
Look at the date this is posted
brad wrote at 4/2/2015 3:07:22 AM:
this doesn't make any sense. I don't have to explain. All you have to do is look at the bad photo shop job of the pizza drone and the pizza coming out of the FDM machine. nonsense.
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