This 3D printer makes pancakes that look like Steve Wozniak and R2-D2

The new breakfast of champions might just be 3D-printed.

A contraption called the PancakeBot pours batter onto a griddle using 3D printing technology with incredible precision. Users can print flapjacks featuring various designs and characters in minutes.

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The appliance relies on one simple truth: the longer you leave batter on the griddle, the darker it becomes.

So if you wanted to draw a smiley face in your flapjack, you would draw the eyes and the mouth, wait a minute, and then fill your canvas with batter. When flipped, the face would be visible.

Making art using the PancakeBot starts on the computer. The user drops an image into the PancakeBot software and traces the lines. You can fill parts of the image with different shades of darkness, and the bot will draw sections of the pancake from darkest to lightest.

When the user is ready to draw, they load batter into the dispenser and pop an SD card carrying the PancakeBot software file into the printer. 

Users can also choose pancake art from hundreds of templates available, ranging from sports team logos to Jesus.

Watching the PancakeBot work its magic over the griddle was mesmerizing to watch. I saw pancake versions of Steve Wozniak and Eiffel Tower appear before my eyes.

I did not, fortunately, have to lend a hand in cleaning the contraption.

The PancakeBot is a novelty item that buyers will likely never use enough to get their money's worth (it runs $299.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond). Still, it ought to impress even the most picky eaters.