Tsinghua graduates invent 3-D pancake-printing machine

Wang Xin, head of the research group prints a pancake in his office in Beijing, Sept 1, 2015. [Photo/CFP]

Seven graduates from China's Tsinghua University invented a 3-D printing machine to provide customers with pancakes in novelty shapes.

Unlike regular pancakes which are round or square, this printing machine can make pancakes with cartoon images, such as Hello Kitty, Baymax and Minions. The machine is connected with a computer, and it can print anything that can be drawn on the computer.

The pancake printing machine is 50 centimeters in length, 60 centimeters in width and 40 centimeters high. Each pancake costs about 3,000 yuan on average.

Besides the beautiful images, this machine is easily controlled as kids aged 3 years and up can handle it with parents' supervision, according to Wang Xin, head of this research group.

Wang said that they are still improving the machine, trying to increase the printing speed and create more complicated pictures in the future.