CNC M&M’s explores the possibilities of integrating computational design, digital fabrication, and food. Inspired by the field of Molecular Gastronomy, this project is meant to be a first step towards precise control of cooking tools bridging the gap between the science and the art of cooking.

This machine uses a standard household vacuum connected to a tabletop CNC router to ‘pick and place’ M&M’s in a desired pattern. The software can convert images into ‘pixel’ based representations and exports G-Code (machine instructions) automatically.

To ‘feed’ M&M’s repeatedly to the machine, an automated hopper was designed and built. The hopper uses a stepper motor and photoresistor which senses when an M&M is picked up and automatically serves up the next piece.

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