Suntory, famous for its crisp beers and refined whiskies, has unveiled a new creation at Expo 2025 in Osaka. At its Park Café pavilion, the Lidris robot draws 3D designs, like the expo’s mascot Myaku-Myaku, inside lemonade, turning a simple drink into a work of art.
Lidris is precise. A compact robotic arm, small enough for a café counter, uses a special nozzle to inject food-safe inks – made from natural ingredients like tomato lycopene – into a specially formulated liquid. Controlled via a tablet, the robot creates designs that stay stable in the drink’s calibrated viscosity and won’t distort even when tilted. Suntory says these liquid artworks can last over an hour indoors, a combination of fluid mechanics and food science.
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But Lidris is not just visually stunning. It’s practical too. About the size of a coffee machine, it runs on a standard outlet and is user-friendly, even part-time staff can operate it. Customers can watch the robot create designs in real time, making beverage preparation a show. The system is customizable for flavors, colors and alcohol levels, perfect for events like birthdays or corporate functions where personalized designs like logos or characters add to the experience.
Lidris builds on Suntory’s earlier innovation, LiDR (Liquid Drawing) which was first showcased at CES 2023 and won a Food & Ag Tech Honoree award. Unlike surface-level latte art, LiDR creates patterns within the liquid, combining robotics with fluid dynamics for precise ink control. This marriage of engineering and art is a new “printable beverage” technology.
Lidris goes beyond the café, with applications in education and science communication. It’s a great way to teach concepts like fluid dynamics or food chemistry in classrooms where students create liquid designs while learning about viscosity. Its use of natural, food-safe pigments and minimal waste aligns with Suntory’s sustainability goals, reflecting their commitment to environmental stewardship.
At Expo 2025, Lidris represents Suntory’s legacy of craftsmanship, rooted in Osaka since 1899. The Park Café, located in Water Plaza West, has an open park-like setting with halal- and vegan-friendly options, including the Myaku-Myaku lemonade. Lidris elevates the visitor experience, turning drinks into interactive art that sparks conversation, tradition and innovation in every sip.
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