There was a pattern in recent times of confectionary magicians blurring the road between truffles and nearly each different conceivable object. SNL’s Mikey Day even hosted a lackluster TV present on the topic referred to as Is It Cake?, which challenged bakers to disguise their truffles and contests to establish the edible frauds. However nearly all of these truffles have one factor in frequent: they’re static and lifeless. That’s why we’re so enamored by this cake created by Hazal and Abigail that can be a totally purposeful digicam.

This isn’t new territory for Abigail. She has a web site showcasing her many sugary tasks and most of them incorporate electronics, in addition to some degree of interactivity. When she met Hazal, she described herself as a “confectionery roboticist.” Hazal works for Viam, a robotics firm, and thought it could be enjoyable to make use of Abigail’s abilities for an upcoming occasion. They’ve a working joke at Viam that every part is a digicam—from precise imaging sensors to bump sensors. Thus, the pair chosen a digicam as the topic for the cake.

If it weren’t for the electronics, this might seem like the type of cake a proficient baker would possibly assemble out of fondant to rejoice the launch of a brand new digicam mannequin from Panasonic or one thing. It isn’t fairly life like sufficient to idiot anybody close by, however it appears to be like improbable.

Then the electronics deliver it to life, as a result of it truly works like an actual digicam. Contained in the frosting-covered lens, there’s a USB webcam. That gives a stay feed to a Raspberry Pi hidden within the facade of the digicam physique. An LCD panel sits precisely the place you’d count on it to, displaying occasion attendees a stay view of what the digicam sees. Lastly, an arcade button and thermal printer sit in entrance of the sheet cake platform.

Hazal programmed the Raspberry Pi with facial recognition so it may detect anybody inside view of the digicam. When it does, it illuminates a hoop of NeoPixel LEDs on the entrance of the fake lens. If an attendee desires a photograph of themselves, they will push the button and the LEDs with flash to point a timer countdown. The receipt printer will then spit out data on the photograph, comparable to time taken and the photograph quantity, to allow them to seize their image later.

That is such a enjoyable mission that it’s a disgrace that it may’t final without end.