pic2eat: Facilitating Social Ice-breaking through Collaborative Design of 3D Printed Appetizer
Hongyue Wang, Jialin Deng, Aravind Mohan, Y Li, Hao Peng, Linjia He, Don Samitha Elvitigala, Florian Mueller
Abstract
3D Food Printing (3DFP), emerging as a multifaceted technology in domestic, gastronomic, and various industrial settings, presents underexplored opportunities for facilitating social interaction. To address this, this research engaged culinary professionals along with participants from diverse backgrounds to investigate the application of 3DFP in social contexts. Consequently, we introduce pic2eat, an innovative 3DFP system that facilitates collaborative artistic expression among unfamiliar individuals through the creation of jointly-designed appetizer with distinct flavor profiles. Our goal was to explore the potential efficacy of 3DFP technology in catalyzing the initiation of social relationships. In our pilot study, the pic2eat was deployed in an experimental setting involving three pairs of strangers. The empirical results suggest that the system is not only accessible and user-friendly, but also significantly effective in mitigating initial social discomfort, thereby enhancing interpersonal engagement. Through this research, we underscores the potential of 3DFP in augmenting social interaction through a synergistic approach that combines creative collaboration and communal dining experiences.