The laser-cutting fad might have come and gone by now but that does not mean that we've run out of things that we can etch with lasers. Apparently, those super-thin sheets of seaweed that sushi rolls are wrapped with, called nori, can be laser cut into delicate and edible artistic creations.

I&S BBDO, a Japanese ad agency, developed its designer nori to help boost the languishing sales of one of its clients, a Japanese nori manufacturer that was affected by the 2011 tsunami. The seaweed features classical Japanese MonYo patterns to blend the design’s use of cutting edge technology, while rooting it in old traditions.

The laser-cut nori comes in five patterns: Sakura (Cherry Blossoms), Mizutama (Water Drops), Asanoha (Hemp), Kikkou (Turtle Seashell), and Kumikkou (Tortoise Shell). Aside from the design’s artsy aesthetic, each pattern represents happiness, good fortune, and longevity.

I&S BBDO has won an Integrated Design Award at the Spikes Asia 2011 and the Best of Show Design Lotus at Adfest in Thailand for their seaweed designs. Now all that’s left to do is to pair it with that Shari roll-making robot, and we’ll have a completely robot-assembled sushi roll.

What else do you think you can cut with a laser? Leave a comment.

[I&S BBDO via Jeannie Jeannie and Make]

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