Achocolateprinterthatallowssweetloverstocreate3Ddessertsbythemselvesistogoonsaleatacostof2500pounds.

Themachinesquirts(喷射)outchocolateandviacomputerinstructionsallowstheusertobuildanyshapetheylikeoutofthefood.ButmakersChocEdgehavemissedtheEasterrush.Evensotheyhopetheprinterwillbesnappedupbyretailers(零售商)immediatelytheycometothemarket.Britain’sbiggestchocolatiersThornton’shavealreadysaidtheyareinterested.Becauseofthehighcosthoweverfewindividualsarelikelytobuyone.Butthe devicecouldonedayallowpeopleto design theirown3Dobjectsaftersubmittingtheirdesignsonawebsite.DrHaofounderofChocEdgecameupwitha prototype(原型) lastyearandhasonlyjustperfecteditsothatitcannowgoonsale.“We’veimprovedandsimplifiedthemachinesonowitisreallyeasytouse”hetoldtheBBC.“Youjustneedto melt somechocolatefilla syringe(注射器)thatisstoredintheprinterandgetcreative printingofyourchocolate.”

3Dprintingisatechnologywhereathree dimensional object iscreatedbybuildingupsuccessivelayersofmaterial.Thetechnologyisalreadyusedinindustryto produce plastic andmetalproductsbutthisisthefirsttimetheprincipleshavebeenappliedtochocolate.Theresearchhaspresentedmanychallenges.Chocolateisnotaneasymaterialtoworkwithbecauseitrequiresaccurate heatingandcoolingcycles.DrHaosaid“Whatmakesthistechnologyspecialisthatuserswillbeableto design andmaketheirownproducts.Fromreproducingtheshapeofachild’sfavouritetoytoafriend’sfacethepossibilitiesareendless.Itcouldbedevelopedtohelpconsumersdesignmanyproductsfromdifferentmaterialsbutwe’vestartedwithchocolateasitiseasily availablelowcostandharmless.”“Thereisalsonowastageasany spoilage(损坏物) canbeeaten.”DrHaoadded“Eventually wemayseemany mass-producedproductsreplacedby unique designscreatedbythecustomer.”

EPSRCchief executive ProfessorDaveDelpysaid“Thisisagoodexampleofhow creative researchcanbeappliedtocreatenewmanufacturingand retail ideas.Bycombiningdevelopmentsinengineeringwiththecommercial potential ofthedigitaleconomy，Wecanseethenewmarketprospect(前景)—creatingne