Platinum A' Design Award in Social Design Goes to Foodres AI Printer Food Waste 3D Printing by Yiqing Wang and Biru Cao

Yiqing Wang and Biru Cao recognized for social design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Foodres AI Printer Food Waste 3D Printing by Yiqing Wang and Biru Cao, designed for FOODres.AI, has been granted the Platinum A' Design Award in the Social Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The award was conferred within the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

What the Platinum A' Design Award Means

The Platinum A' Design Award is recognized for honoring designs that stand at the forefront of creativity and innovation. It is the highest accolade bestowed by the A' Design Awards, acknowledging works that blend remarkable innovation with impactful societal contributions. These designs not only showcase exceptional artistic and technical proficiency but also highlight their creators' commitment to advancing the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Recipients of this award are celebrated for their role in shaping the aesthetics and trends of our time, contributing significantly to the enhancement of quality of life and promoting sustainable development.

More About Foodres AI Printer Food Waste 3D Printing

Foodres AI Printer is a desktop 3D printer that turns food scraps and organic waste into functional crafts. The printer and its mobile application use artificial intelligence and a phone camera to identify materials and match them to printable recipes. Users drop in food waste, then select forms and sizes to print items such as cup holders, coasters and decorative objects. A translucent shell makes the printing process visible, and only two openings and a minimal control panel are provided. The design supports everyday food saving and creative reuse at home.

Award Record

With this recognition, Yiqing Wang and Biru Cao is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.

About the A' Social Design Award

The A' Social Design Award is an international design competition recognizing excellence in social design by social impact designers and think-tanks worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to social designers, social brands, social manufacturers and social design professionals from all countries. Typical entries include community projects, social campaigns, public installations, educational programs, sustainable initiatives and healthcare solutions. The awarded social designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/social

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/163663
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/163663
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!163663
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/358089

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

###

Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Foodres AI Printer Food Waste 3D Printing
Function: Food Waste 3D Printing
Category: Social Design
Discipline: Communication Design
Industry: Social Impact
Colors: White Smoke, Light Gray, Burly Wood, Dark Slate Gray and Silver
Images: 5
Client: FOODres.AI

The Recognition

Laureate: Yiqing Wang and Biru Cao
Country: United States of America
Recognition: Platinum A' Design Award
Edition: 2024 - 2025
Design ID: #163663

Credits

Team: Yiqing Wang and Biru Cao
Image Credits: Creator: Yiqing Wang, Biru Cao, Product Image, 2024

Design Details

Unique Properties: The FoodRes AI Printer is a desktop pallet 3D printer that transforms food scraps and organic waste into creative crafts. The machine and app use AI to sort materials through the phone camera based on printable recipes. Users can simply drop in food waste and select forms and sizes to print objects such as cup holders, coasters, decor, and custom designs. The FoodRes AI Printer embodies FoodRes AI’s vision of promoting real-time food-saving. This product goes beyond recycling food waste and actively engaging communities in eco-friendly practices on a daily basis by combining recycling with design.
Inspiration: The project originated from the team’s research supported by the MIT IDEAS program. In the United States, 40-50% of household food is wasted. Before being discarded into landfills or composted, non-edible leftovers and organic waste can still be turned into useful, creative, and fun items. The FoodRes AI Printer, powered by AI, enables home users to access bio-based material printing without professional expertise. It transforms the challenge of upcycling food into an engaging, hands-on activity. Creativity and sustainability come together in the product, resulting in unique, shareable crafts.
Research: This research explores AI-assisted 3D printing for upcycling food scraps into functional objects, promoting sustainability and creative reuse. It aims to develop an accessible system enabling non-experts to transform organic waste into everyday items. Key methods include material analysis, AI-based object detection, and user experience evaluations. Tools used include computer vision sorting, self-trained detection models, and digital fabrication, supported by a mobile app for real-time material assessment. Findings show that AI-driven sorting enhances food waste printing success, and intuitive systems increase user engagement in sustainable practices.
Challenge: In the US, every year, 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide is caused by food loss and waste. The FOODres AI Printer transforms organic scraps into creative and functional items. It provides an innovative way to address the environmental impact of upcycling. The AI-powered app provides an accessible way for users to engage in sustainable practices. Beyond recycling, this product fosters a sustainability mindset, giving users a creative and interactive way to contribute to waste reduction. It builds a community-focused culture of sustainability, allowing users to participate in eco-friendly practices actively.
Realization and Technology: Unlike typical 3D printers, the FoodRes AI Printer is designed to transform organic waste into functional products, addressing food waste with an engaging, consumer-friendly solution. It stands apart in the market as the only AI-assisted desktop printer focusing on unprocessed organic waste conversion at home. It sits at the intersection of sustainable technology, DIY crafting, and eco-conscious home products, appealing to consumers who value creativity and environmental responsibility. The product reflects FoodRes AI’s vision of boosting the food-saving process in real-time and making recycling creative and fun.
Operation and Interaction: The system integrates computer vision and a self-trained object detection model to identify food types and assess material printability. To reach a wider audience, the machine is equipped with a material processing system that assists users in creating a printable mixture. With its translucent shell and visible internal structure, users can observe the entire printing process. The design features only two openings: one for waste drop-off and another for retrieving finished 3D-printed objects. Its straightforward design and minimal control panel make it accessible to everyone.
Project Duration and Location: The printable food waste technology was developed in 2024 in Cambridge, MA, US. The prototype was designed and fabricated in December 2024.
Specifications: Machine Dimension: 400 mm (Length) * 360 mm (Width) * 440/660 mm (Height) Print Object Dimension Limits: 240 mm (Length) * 240 mm (Width) * 220 mm (Height)
Keywords: Food Waste, Artificial Intelligence, 3D Print, Sustainability, Upcycling