<img src="images/autodineur.gif" alt="[Image: A person with mid-length blonde hair sits in a brightly-coloured kitchen. There are many condiments, ingredients and a laptop on the table.]" class="responsive">
###Autodîneur
####by <a href="https://www.foodplayfood.com">Steph Marsden</a> and <a href="https://www.harryjosephine.com">Harry Josephine Giles</a>
Autodîneur is a computer-generated guide for an exploratory eating experience. Each time you visit you will receive a new set of instructions to follow for a new kind of meal. The instructions will help you use all your faculties to get messily in touch with your food.
Feeling hungry? Ready for a snack? Our guided meal time will allow you to select prompts for your eating experience. [[Click here|Instructions]] to begin your meal.
Alternatively, visit our <a href="https://twitter.com/autodineur">Twitter page</a> to join the perpetual meal.
####About the Project
Every day, we hand over autonomy to algorithms to decide music we listen to, what news we follow and whose opinions we listen to. When we discuss food and robots, we usually focus on using this technology to prepare, pack or distribute our food. Rarely do we entrust them with how we approach the rituals of dining or eating. Autodîneur is our response, a procedurally generated guide for an eating experience.
We made Autodîneur to be:
* Gently provocative, but still safe. You can also decide which rules to obey and which to skip.
* Engaging to all the senses.
* Thought-provoking, disrupting the soft rituals of food.
* Usable both independently or in a group, for casual snacks or formal dining experiences.
* Accessible and adaptable to different needs and bodies.
* Open source, with the <a href="https://cheapbotsdonequick.com/source/autodineur">basic code</a> available to be developed and shared.
Autodîneur is food poetry, recombining words we associate with eating experiences to create new contexts and dialogues.
The source code is available and welcomes comments at Cheap Bots Done Quick. This work is licensed under a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.</a>
Autodîneur is written in <a href="http://www.crystalcodepalace.com/tracery.html">Tracery</a> and adapted on this page with <a href="https://twinery.org/">Twine</a>. The illustration is by <a href="https://kaitlinmechan.myportfolio.com/stay-home-series">Kaitlin Mechan</a>.(display:
(either:
"instructions for adjective meal",
"the adjective meal",
"a meal for noun"
)
)(display:
(either:
"To #begin#, #consider2# purpose#",
"To #begin#, #dedicate# #experience# #dedication#"
)
)(display: "select") (display: "smallNumber") (display: "assembleAdj")(display: "ingredients")(display: "secondIngredients")(display: "location")(display: "assembleInstruction")(display: "bonusFoodItem")(display:
(either:
"Make a #beautiful# dining arrangement out of your favourite #tableware# and most comfortable seating",
"Find something that is not a plate to eat from, and something that is not cutlery to eat with",
"Do not lay the table: simply put the #food2# directly on it and eat with your hands",
"Do not place chairs at the table: stand to eat, or sit on the floor, or walk constantly round the table while eating",
"Lay the table in tribute to your favourite band",
"#Decorate# the table with #foliage# from outside",
"Make a display of your #favourite# tin cans",
"If you have pets, ask them to join you",
"Thoroughly #clean# the surface you will eat from",
"Create an eating den out of cushions and blankets",
"Open all the windows and sit in the fresh air, or on your balcony if you have one, or in the doorway, or the garden",
"Get in bed with your #plate#",
"Eat in a room you don’t normally eat in",
"Run a bath: you will eat in here"
)
)(display:
(either:
"clear #everything# up #perfectly#",
"clear #everything# up #perfectly#",
"finishingText",
"finishingText",
"finishingText",
"finishingText",
"finishingText",
"finishingText",
"finishingText",
"clean each #dish# individually and thank it"
)
)(print:
(either:
"Finally, ",
"To finish, ",
"To finish up, ",
"To conclude, ",
"To wrap up, ",
"To end the meal, ",
"In conclusion, "
)
)\
(display:
(either:
"reflectionText",
"Ask yourself: are you #satisfied#?",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"Thank the #people# who produced the food",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText",
"reflectionText"
)
)
[[Go back to the credits|Introduction]], or [[get instructions for a new meal|Instructions]](print:
(either:
"Delicious",
"Fabulous",
"Unusual",
"Surprising",
"Immersive",
"Playful"
)
)(print:
(either:
"Meal",
"Meal",
"Meal",
"Meal",
"Breakfast",
"Lunch",
"Dinner",
"Eating Experience",
"Dining Experience",
"Culinary Experience",
"Brunch",
"Supper",
"Snack"
)
)(print:
(either:
"Instructions",
"Rules",
"Commandments",
"A Guide"
)
)###(display: "instructions") for a (display: "adjective") (display: "meal")###The (display: "adjective") (display: "meal")###A (display: "meal") for (display: "noun")(print:
(either:
"Joy",
"Delight",
"Exploration"
)
)(display:
(either:
"take #mouthful# #andchew##duration#",
"pick up #quantity# food #pickUpMethod# and #throwMethod# #target#",
"play some #music##instrument##duration#",
"#paint a picture##with the food#",
"take something from your #plate# and cut it #into the smallest possible pieces#",
"hold a #food# in your mouth for #mediumNumber# seconds and then spit it out",
"put your face up against a #food# and breathe #deeply##duration#",
"#listen# a #food##advListen##duration#",
"#squidge# your #hands# into the food#duration#",
"#hold# a #food# up to your #eyes# and #study it",
"#eatType# the rest of the food as #quickly# as possible",
"eat #smallNumber# forkfuls every #smallNumber3# minutes",
"pause and reflect#duration#",
"push the #plate# away from you",
"#fixate on# your favourite #taste##duration#",
"run away from the eating area and then return",
"mash #everything# together",
"pile #everything# into as tall a tower as you can",
"#consider# the #knife#",
"feel unusually decadent",
"#slowly walk away from the food in front of you#",
"try to memorise all the textures from the dish",
"#gather2# #assembleAdj2# #smallNumber2A# of the #ingredients# and #assembleInstruction2##bonusFoodAction2#",
"#slowly##touch# the #table#",
"sniff the floor and #inhale# its #sound##duration#",
"eat sarcastically#duration#",
"#dance# with glee before the next #bite#",
"#leap# across the #room##leapBonusAction#",
"crouch down to observe your creation",
"smear your food onto your body",
"group the food and objects in front of you by colour",
"remove all the #red# food and #objects# from your meal",
"#stare# #stareAdverb# #stareObject# #stareAdditionalAction#",
"sniff a #plate# and #inhale# its #sound#",
"#sing# a #adjSing##song##songBonusAction#",
"#break# the #atmosphere# with a #knife#",
"#touch# the food before you consume it"
)
)To (display: "begin"), (display: "consider2") (display: "purpose")(print:
(either:
"your reasons for eating",
"what you want to explore with your meal",
"what this meal is for",
"what the purpose of eating is",
"your purpose",
"your eating habits",
"your desires for the meal"
)
)(print:
(either:
"begin",
"start",
"commence",
"prepare",
"get ready"
)
)(print:
(either:
"consider",
"reflect on",
"think about",
"choose",
"decide"
)
)To (display: "begin"), (display: "dedicate") (display: "experience") (display: "dedication")(print:
(either:
"dedicate",
"commit",
"pledge"
)
)(print:
(either:
"to a purpose",
"to the gods",
"to the power of your choice",
"to a loved one",
"to the people who made it",
"to the past",
"to the future"
)
)(print:
(either:
"your meal",
"this meal",
"this experience",
"your eating",
"this ritual",
"this time"
)
)(print:
(either:
"Choose",
"Find",
"Pick",
"Select",
"Gather together",
"Harvest"
)
)(print:
(either:
"a few",
"a few",
"several",
"two",
"three",
"four",
"five"
)
)(print:
(either:
"tasty ",
"delicious ",
"disgusting ",
"horrible ",
"old ",
"fresh ",
"ordinary "
)
)(print:
(either:
"items",
"things",
"foodstuffs",
"morsels",
"foods"
)
)(display:
(either:
" and #smallNumber# #assembleAdj3# #ingredients3#",
"blank"
)
)(display:
(either:
"blank",
"locationText"
)
)(display:
(either:
"instructionText",
"blank",
"blank"
)
)(display:
(either:
"bonusFoodItemAlso",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank"
)
) and (display:"smallNumber") (display:"assembleAdj3") (display:"ingredients3")(print:
(either:
"strange",
"inedible, non-toxic",
"messy",
"dry",
"of your favourite",
"of your least favourite"
)
)(print:
(either:
"ingredients",
"scraps",
"things"
)
)(print:
(either:
" and a drawing of your favourite food ",
" and a drawing of your least favourite food ",
" and a soft toy ",
" and a plant you like ",
" and a cosy blanket ",
" and an annoying item of stationery ",
" and a favourite pen ",
" and an excellent soundtrack ",
)
)\
(print:
(either:
"too",
"as well"
)
)(print:
(either:
" from the fridge",
" from the cupboards",
" from the kitchen",
" from around the house",
" from anywhere but the kitchen" )
)(print:
(either:
" with your eyes closed",
" without thinking about it",
" at random",
" with help from a friend",
" with care",
" with great care",
" without much thought"
)
)Make a (display: "beautiful") dining arrangement out of your favourite (display: "tableware") and most comfortable seating(print:
(either:
"sparse",
"ugly",
"pleasing",
"pretty",
"deranged",
"playful",
"subversive",
"ordinary",
"beautiful"
)
)(print:
(either:
"vessels",
"objects",
"dishes, bowl and plates",
"trinkets",
"ceramics",
"serveware",
"boards",
"tableware"
)
)Find something that is not a plate to eat from, and something that is not cutlery to eat withDo not lay the table: simply put the (display: "food2") directly on it and eat with your hands(print:
(either:
"food",
"ingredients",
"starter ",
"main course ",
"dessert ",
"snack",
"tasty treats"
)
)Do not place chairs at the table: stand to eat, or sit on the floor, or walk constantly round the table while eatingLay the table in tribute to your favourite band(display: "Decorate") the table with (display: "foliage") from outside(print:
(either:
"Prepare",
"Embellish",
"Decorate"
)
)(print:
(either:
"flowers",
"plants",
"weeds",
"leaves",
"foliage"
)
)Make a display of your (display: "favourite") tin cans(print:
(either:
"favourite",
"least favourite",
"most peculiar",
"most interesting",
"most intriguing"
)
)If you have pets, ask them to join youThoroughly (display: "clean") the surface you will eat from(print:
(either:
"sanitise",
"polish",
"tidy up",
"clean"
)
)Create an eating den out of cushions and blanketsOpen all the windows and sit in the fresh air, or on your balcony if you have one, or in the doorway, or the gardenGet in bed with your (display: "plate")(print:
(either:
"bowl",
"dish",
"plate",
"spoon",
"fork",
"knife",
"cup"
)
)Eat in a room you don’t normally eat inRun a bath: you will eat in hereTake (display: "mouthful") (display: "andchew")(display: "duration")(display:
(either:
"adjMouthful mouthful",
"adjMouthful mouthful",
"a mouthful"
)
)(display:
(either:
"chew #adverb#",
"chew #adverb#",
"chew"
)
)(display:
(either:
"durationText",
"blank"
)
)(print:
(either:
"a large mouthful",
"a small mouthful",
"a tiny mouthful",
"a huge mouthful",
"an unwieldy mouthful",
"a messy mouthful",
"a tidy mouthful",
"a sloppy mouthful",
"a wet mouthful",
"a dry mouthful"
)
)a mouthfuland chew(display:
(either:
"chewText",
"chewText",
"chewText",
"chewText",
"chewText",
"chewText",
", while thinking about #thought#,",
"chewText",
"chewText"
)
)(print:
(either:
"and chew, while thinking about the sky,",
"and chew, while thinking about the taste,",
"and chew, while thinking about sex,",
"and chew, while thinking about death,",
"and chew, while thinking about the ocean,",
"and chew, while thinking about your family,",
"and chew, while thinking about school,"
)
)(print:
(either:
"and chew thoughtfully",
"and chew carelessly",
"and chew with your mouth open",
"and chew as quietly as you can",
"and chew as loudly as you can",
"and chew mindfully",
"and chew slowly",
"and chew quickly"
)
) (display:
(either:
"for a while",
"for #smallNumber# #times##orso#",
"until #result#",
"for a minute#orso#"
)
) for a whilefor (display:"smallNumber") (display:"times")(display:"orso")(print:
(either:
"seconds",
"minutes"
)
)(print:
(either:
" or so",
"",
"",
""
)
)until (display: "result")(print:
(either:
"you are bored",
"you are tired",
"you learn something",
"you are done",
"it is time to stop",
"your mood changes",
"you feel different",
"you have to stop"
)
)for a minute(display:"orso")Pick up (display:"quantity") food (display:"pickUpMethod") and (display:"throwMethod") (display:"target")(display:
(either:
"quantityText",
"quantityText",
"quantityText",
"quantityText",
"quantityText",
"quantityText",
"adjMouthful bite of"
)
)(print:
(either:
"with your hands",
"with a fork",
"with a spoon",
"with your feet",
"in your mouth",
"with your face",
"without using your hands"
)
)(display:
(either:
"#throw# it #advThrow# at",
"#throw# it at",
"#throw# it at",
"throwText",
"throwText",
"throwText",
"throwText",
"throwText"
)
)(display:
(either:
"the person #personPosition#",
"the person #personPosition#",
"targetText",
"targetText",
"targetText",
"targetText",
"targetText",
)
)(print:
(either:
"a bite of",
"a heap of",
"a ball of",
"a piece of",
"a lot of",
"a little"
)
)(print:
(either:
"a large bite of",
"a small bite of",
"a tiny bite of",
"a huge bite of",
"an unwieldy bite of",
"a messy bite of",
"a tidy bite of",
"a sloppy bite of",
"a wet bite of",
"a dry bite of"
)
)(print:
(either:
"pass it to",
"give it to",
"gift it to",
"give it to",
"slam it against"
)
)(display:"throw") it (display:"advThrow") at(display:"throw") it at(print:
(either:
"throw",
"throw",
"lob",
"chuck",
"toss",
"fling"
)
)(print:
(either:
"forcefully",
"lightly",
"gently",
"violently",
"quietly",
"playfully",
"precisely"
)
)(print:
(either:
"the wall",
"the wall",
"the floor",
"the ceiling",
"someone else's plate"
)
)the person (display:"personPosition")(print:
(either:
"on your left",
"on your right",
"opposite you",
"you love most",
"you hate most"
)
)Play some (display:"music")(display:"instrument")(display:"duration")(display: "adjMusic")music(display:
(either:
"with #instrumentA#",
"with #instrumentA#",
"with #instrumentA# and #instrumentB#",
"blank"
)
)(print:
(either:
"beautiful ",
"raucous ",
"slow ",
"gentle ",
"vibrant ",
"improvised ",
"rhythmic "
)
) with (display:"instrumentA")(print:
(either:
"your utensils",
"your utensils",
"your plate",
"your crockery",
"your cutlery",
"your cutlery",
"your body"
)
) with (display:"instrumentA") and (display:"instrumentB")(print:
(either:
"the table",
"the table",
"the glassware",
"the food",
"the walls",
"the other diners"
)
)(display:"paint a picture")(display:"with the food")(print:
(either:
"Paint a picture",
"Make a sculpture",
"Compose an artwork",
"Build a monument",
"Design a memorial",
"Create a design",
"Assemble a pattern"
)
)(display:
(either:
"withthefood",
"with #mediumNumber# #food3.pluralize# of food",
"withthefood",
"with #mediumNumber# #food3.pluralize# of food",
"blank"
)
)(print:
(either:
"five",
"eight",
"ten",
"twelve",
"fourteen",
"fifteen",
"a few too many"
)
) with (display:"mediumNumber") (display:"food3plural") of food(print:
(either:
"bites",
"mouthfuls",
"fragments",
"scraps",
"spoonfuls",
"morsels",
"chunks",
"crumbs",
"tidbits",
"pieces"
)
) with the foodTake something from your (display:"plate") and cut it (display:"into the smallest possible pieces")(print:
(either:
"into the smallest possible pieces",
"into large chunks",
"into little bits",
"into pieces",
"into manageable chunks",
"into neat portions",
"into random chunks",
"into a pattern"
)
)Hold a (display:"food") in your mouth for (display:"mediumNumber") seconds(display:"and then spit it out")(display:
(either:
"foodText",
"foodText",
"foodText of food"
)
)(print:
(either:
"bite",
"mouthful",
"fragment",
"scrap",
"spoonful",
"morsel",
"chunk",
"crumb",
"tidbit",
"piece"
)
)(display:"foodText") of food(print:
(either:
"",
" and then spit it out"
)
)Put your face up against a (display:"food") and breathe (display:"deeply")(display:"duration")(print:
(either:
"shallowly",
"slowly",
"loudly",
"quietly",
"heavily",
"steadily",
"deeply"
)
)(display:"listen") a (display:"food")(display:"advListen")(display:"duration")(print:
(either:
"Pay attention to",
"Observe",
"Listen to",
"Study",
"Listen to"
)
)(print:
(either:
" attentively",
" carefully",
" dismissively",
" thoughtfully",
" interestedly",
" curiously",
" doubtfully",
" sceptically",
" slowly",
" curiously",
" gently",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
""
)
)(display:"squidge") your (display:"hands") into the food(display:"duration")(print:
(either:
"Squeeze",
"Slosh",
"Mix",
"Blend",
"Bend",
"Push",
"Squidge"
)
)(print:
(either:
"wrist",
"fingers",
"elbow",
"face",
"pinkie",
"hands"
)
)(display:"hold") a (display:"food") up to your (display:"eyes") and (display:"study") it(print:
(either:
"Lift",
"Bring",
"Hold"
)
)(print:
(either:
"face",
"head",
"eyes",
"nose",
"eyes",
"mouth"
)
)(print:
(either:
"observe",
"scrutinise",
"consider",
"contemplate",
"evaluate",
"comprehend",
"study"
)
)(display:"eatType") the rest of the food as (display:"quickly") as possible(print:
(either:
"Devour",
"Chew",
"Gorge",
"Consume",
"Eat",
"Eat"
)
)(print:
(either:
"slowly",
"leisurely",
"considerately",
"quickly",
"delicately",
"roughly",
"messily",
"carefully",
"carelessly",
"tentatively",
"greedily",
"softly"
)
)Eat (display:"smallNumber") forkfuls every (display:"smallNumber3") minutes(print:
(either:
"two",
"three",
"four",
"five",
"six"
)
)Pause and reflect(display:"duration")Push the (display:"plate") away from you(display:"fixate on") your favourite (display:"taste")(display:"duration")Run away from the eating area and then return(print:
(either:
"Focus on",
"Meditate on",
"Consider",
"Ignore",
"Appreciate",
"Suppress",
"Consider",
"Speculate on",
"Evaluate",
"Fixate on"
)
)(print:
(either:
"flavour",
"sensation",
"savour",
"bite",
"aroma",
"feeling"
)
)Mash (display:"everything") togetherPile (display:"everything") into as tall a tower as you can(print:
(either:
"some things",
"a few pieces",
"your favourite items",
"your least favourite items",
"everything",
"everything"
)
)(display:"consider") a (display:"knife")Feel unusually decadent (print:
(either:
"Think about",
"Consider",
"Think about",
"Consider",
"Think about",
"Consider",
"Mull over",
"Ponder",
"Deliberate on",
"Ruminate on",
"Speculate about"
)
)(print:
(either:
"plate",
"bowl",
"dish",
"spoon",
"fork",
"knife",
"cup",
"jug",
"mug",
"device",
"screen",
"bite",
"morsel",
"snack",
"canape",
"mouthful",
"fragment",
"scrap",
"spoonful",
"soupçon"
)
)(print:
(either:
"Slowly walk away from the food in front of you",
"Step backwards three paces to observe",
"Close your eyes and take some really deep breaths",
"Spin around once or twice",
"Circle the food on front of you, as if it were prey",
"Spin until you feel a little light headed, but only if it is safe to do so"
)
)Try to memorise all the textures from the dish(display:"break") the (display:"atmosphere") with a (display:"knife")(display:"gather2") (display:"smallNumber2A") of the (display:"ingredients") and (display:"assembleInstruction2")(display:"bonusFoodAction2")(print:
(either:
"Play with",
"Gather",
"Select",
"Choose",
"Find",
"Pick",
"Select",
"Dissect"
)
)(print:
(either:
"two","two","two",
"three",
"four",
"between three and four",
"a random amount"
)
)(print:
(either:
" carefully prod the pieces",
" hold them up to the light",
" sniff them tentatively",
" roll them in the palm of your hand",
" name the items after a loved one",
" name the items based on their shape",
" name the items based on their texture",
" name the items based on their colour"
)
)(print:
(either:
", then do a quick sketch",
", then do a careful drawing",
", then phone a friend you have been thinking of, to tell them about this",
", then phone a family member to update them on your meal",
" while thinking of a plant you like",
" while licking slowly",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
""
)
)(display:"touch") the (display:"table")(display:"slowly")(print:
(either:
" quickly",
" leisurely",
" delicately",
" carefully",
" carelessly",
" tentatively",
" slowly",
"",
"",
""
)
)(print:
(either:
"Tap",
"Nudge",
"Stroke",
"Poke",
"Prod",
"Stroke",
"Caress",
"Feel",
"Massage",
"Pat",
"Press",
"Flick",
"Brush",
"Push",
"Tease",
"Hug",
"Push",
"Tease",
"Hug",
"Touch"
)
)(print:
(either:
"table",
"food",
"tableware",
"food",
"floor",
"walls",
"food"
)
)Sniff the floor and (display:"inhaleLC") its (display:"sound")(display:"duration")(print:
(either:
"Draw in",
"Exhale",
"Breathe in",
"Ingest",
"Inhale"
)
)(print:
(either:
"sound",
"scent",
"colour"
)
)Eat sarcastically(display:"duration")(display:"dance") with glee before the next (display:"bite")(print:
(either:
"Saunter",
"Sway",
"Celebrate",
"Change seats",
"Move",
"Dance",
"Shake"
)
)(print:
(either:
"mouthful",
"snack",
"fragment",
"scrap",
"spoonful",
"bite"
)
)(display:"leap") across the (display:"room")(display:"leapBonusAction")(print:
(either:
"Jump",
"Dart",
"Bounce",
"Dance",
"Shimmy",
"Leap",
"Move",
"Gesture ",
"Walk",
"Run",
"Pace",
"Sneak",
"Creep"
)
)(print:
(either:
"room",
"room",
"floor",
"kitchen",
"space"
)
)(display:
(either:
"whilst #sniffing# your #meal2# #with your nose#",
"blank",
"blank"
)
)(display:
(either:
"sniffingText",
"advListen sniffingText"
)
)(print:
(either:
"meal",
"meal",
"meal",
"food",
"food",
"food",
"feast",
"repast"
)
)(display:
(either:
"noseText",
"noseText",
"noseText",
"noseText",
"#with care# and #precision#",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank"
)
)(print:
(either:
"sniffing",
"inhaling",
"ingesting",
)
)(display:"advListen") (display:"sniffingText")(print:
(either:
"with your nose",
"with your nose",
"without your nose",
"with your nose"
)
)(display:"with care") and (display:"precision")(print:
(either:
"with care",
"with consideration",
"with grief"
)
)(print:
(either:
"precision",
"contemplation",
"thoughtfulness",
"despair",
"the other diners"
)
) while (display:"sniffing") your (display:"meal2") (display:"with your nose")Crouch down to observe your creationSmear your food onto your bodyGroup the food and (display:"objects") in front of you by colourRemove all the (display:"red") food and (display:"objects") from your meal(print:
(either:
"blue",
"green",
"beige",
"transparent",
"cream",
"brown",
"yellow",
"red"
)
)(print:
(either:
"accoutrements",
"utensils",
"paraphenalia",
"objects"
)
)(display:"stare")(display:"stareAdverb") (display:"stareObject") (display:"stareAdditionalAction")(print:
(either:
"Stare",
"Gaze",
"Look",
"Gawp"
)
)(print:
(either:
" intensely",
" curiously",
" in wonder",
" in disgust",
" thoughtfully",
"",
"",
"",
"",
""
)
)(print:
(either:
"at the wall",
"into space",
"at the plate",
"at the food",
"into the void",
"out of the window",
"at whatever catches your attention",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
""
)
)(display:
(either:
"and #stareThink# #stareDeath#",
"and #stareLaugh#",
"and #stareChew# #stareChewTime#",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank",
"blank"
)
)and (display:"stareThink") (display:"stareDeath")(print:
(either:
"think about",
"consider",
"think about",
"consider",
"think about",
"consider",
"mull over",
"ponder",
"deliberate on",
"ruminate on",
"speculate about"
)
)(print:
(either:
"death",
"life",
"friendship",
"family",
"joy",
"flavour",
"taste",
"your past",
"the future"
)
)(display:
(either:
"stareLaughText",
"stareLaughText",
"stareLaughText",
"#stareSay# a few words"
)
)(print:
(either:
"chew",
"bite down",
"chomp down",
"nibble away",
"gulp it down",
"munch away",
"chew",
"chew"
)
)(print:
(either:
"for a while",
"for a time",
"for a little bit",
"for a good while",
"",
"",
"",
"",
"",
""
)
)and (display:"stareLaugh")and (display:"stareChew") (display:"stareChewTime")(print:
(either:
"say a few words",
"mumble a few words",
"shout a few words",
"spit out a few words",
"say a few words",
"say a few words"
)
)(print:
(either:
"laugh",
"laugh to yourself",
"take a pause"
)
)Sniff a (display:"plate") and (display:"inhaleLC") its (display:"sound")(print:
(either:
"draw in",
"exhale",
"breathe in",
"ingest",
"inhale"
)
)(display:"sing") a (display:"adjSing")(display:"song")(display:"songBonusAction")(print:
(either:
"Sing",
"Sing",
"Hum",
"Chant",
"Sing",
"Sing"
)
)(print:
(either:
"gentle ",
"quiet ",
"",
"",
"",
""
)
)(print:
(either:
"ballad",
"tune",
"melody",
"nostalgic melody",
"song",
"folk song"
)
)(display:
(either:
"while #cutting up# pieces of your #meal2#",
"blank",
"blank"
)
) while (display:"cutting up") pieces of your (display:"meal2")(print:
(either:
"preparing",
"dissecting"
)
)(display:"touch") the food before you consume it(print:
(either:
"Break",
"Shatter",
"Snap",
"Burst",
"Flip",
"Splinter",
"Interrupt",
"Disturb"
)
)(print:
(either:
"mood",
"tension",
"silence",
"atmosphere"
)
)(print:
(either:
"Abandon the eating area and wash yourself",
"Smear the remains on your face",
"Put everything back where it came from",
"Tidy up",
"Don’t tidy up",
"Leave things as they are for an hour",
"Play with the inedible food remains"
)
)Clear (display:"everything") up (display:"perfectly")Clean each (display:"dish") individually and thank it(print:
(either:
"eating utensil",
"plate and bowl",
"item you used"
)
)(print:
(either:
"perfectly",
"as quickly as you can",
"slowly",
"sloppily",
"perfectly"
)
)ask yourself: are you (display:"satisfied")?thank the (display:"people") who produced the food(print:
(either:
"dedicate the remains to the gods",
"ask yourself: why did you do this?",
"invite a friend to join you virtually for your next meal",
"invite a friend to join you virtually for your next meal",
"invite your family or friends to join you virtually for your next meal",
"sit quietly and reflect upon how the experience made you feel",
"ask yourself: how do you feel?",
"ask yourself: have you achieved your goals?",
"ask yourself: what have you learned?",
"thank the meal for its contribution to your day",
"thank the day for its contribution to your mealtime",
"have a nap",
"ask yourself: how do you think the food found this experience?",
"ask yourself: would you do this again?",
"ask yourself: what would you change?",
"ask yourself: who would you like to do this with?",
"ask yourself: where did this meal come from?",
"consider your next adventure",
"consider why you listened to a bot"
)
)(print:
(either:
"nourished",
"content",
"enriched",
"satisfied"
)
)(print:
(either:
"people",
"workers",
"farmers"
)
)(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "finishing")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready to finish?")[(display: "reflecting")]]]](display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "finishing")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready to finish?")[(display: "reflecting")]]]]](display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "finishing")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready to finish?")[(display: "reflecting")]]]]]](display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "eating")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "finishing")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready to finish?")[(display: "reflecting")]]]]]]](display: "naming")
(display: "intending")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "assembling")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display: "preparing")
(t8n: "dissolve")+(link: "Ready for the next step?")[(display:(either: "eating3","eating4","eating5","eating6"))]]]
↶↷
Autodîneur
Autodîneur is a computer-generated guide for an exploratory eating experience. Each time you visit you will receive a new set of instructions to follow for a new kind of meal. The instructions will help you use all your faculties to get messily in touch with your food.
Feeling hungry? Ready for a snack? Our guided meal time will allow you to select prompts for your eating experience. Click here to begin your meal.
Alternatively, visit our Twitter page to join the perpetual meal.
About the Project
Every day, we hand over autonomy to algorithms to decide music we listen to, what news we follow and whose opinions we listen to. When we discuss food and robots, we usually focus on using this technology to prepare, pack or distribute our food. Rarely do we entrust them with how we approach the rituals of dining or eating. Autodîneur is our response, a procedurally generated guide for an eating experience.
We made Autodîneur to be:
- Gently provocative, but still safe. You can also decide which rules to obey and which to skip.
- Engaging to all the senses.
- Thought-provoking, disrupting the soft rituals of food.
- Usable both independently or in a group, for casual snacks or formal dining experiences.
- Accessible and adaptable to different needs and bodies.
- Open source, with the basic code available to be developed and shared.
Autodîneur is food poetry, recombining words we associate with eating experiences to create new contexts and dialogues.
The source code is available and welcomes comments at Cheap Bots Done Quick. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Autodîneur is written in Tracery and adapted on this page with Twine. The illustration is by Kaitlin Mechan.