PowerPlate

Make room for a capybara at the table.

PowerPlate gives children a playful reason to notice what’s on their plate. A camera scan identifies visible foods and estimates the meal’s balance across food groups. Variety earns power points, which bring energy, outfits and rewards to their capybara companion.

We designed and developed the experience around three connected parts: food recognition, character-based play and tools for parents. The camera starts the interaction, the capybara gives it personality, and the family dashboard brings individual meals into a broader view.

Get curious about your plate

Children scan their meal before eating. The app recognizes visible ingredients and estimates the mix of food groups, including vegetables, protein foods and grains. That feedback becomes part of the game, connecting meal variety with points and rewards. The aim is to make noticing and exploring food part of an everyday routine.

A little personality goes a long way

Each child has a capybara to look after and customize. Earned points contribute to its energy and unlock clothes, accessories and other rewards. Its reactions give progress a visible expression, while the growing collection lets children make their companion their own. The character carries the experience from one meal to the next.

What can we make with this?

PowerPlate also looks inside the fridge. The app identifies available ingredients and suggests recipes that use them, helping families find possibilities in what they already have. It creates an opportunity to choose a meal together, try a different combination and put overlooked ingredients to use.

Give parents the bigger picture

Parents have a separate login with meal history, estimated balance, food-variety tracking and weekly summaries. They can follow participation and progress, see recurring patterns and explore recipe ideas for the family. The dashboard organizes the information so it can support meal planning and conversations at home.