The dream of many – trying out the taste via a monitor – is getting closer.
A team of biomedical engineers and virtual reality experts have developed a groundbreaking lollipop-shaped interface that simulates taste in virtual reality.
Their research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesrepresents an important step toward the integration of taste and smell senses into virtual environments – an area that has long lagged behind visual and auditory advances.
The device, which resembles a lollipop, uses an innovative system with agar-agar gel infused with different chemical flavors. When a small voltage of 2V is applied, the transparent seaweed-derived gel is pushed to the surface. There it mixes with saliva, creating a convincing taste sensation.
The lollipop comes with nine different flavors: salt, sugar, cherry, citric acid, green tea, passion fruit, grapefruit, durian and milk.
By varying the tension, the intensity of each flavor can be adjusted. Combinations of these ingredients can create completely new taste experiences.
Initial tests confirm the effectiveness of the device, although current limitations include the amount of gel, which allows approximately one hour of use per device. While this prototype is promising, it is just the beginning.
The engineers want to expand its capabilities, potentially integrating up to 100 flavors and extending the life of the device in future iterations.
In addition to its entertainment potential, the lollipop interface also has practical applications. For example, it could revolutionize online marketing by allowing consumers to virtually “taste” products before purchasing them.
In medicine, doctors could use it to test the palatability of medications for patients. Furthermore, it could serve as an educational tool in interactive games designed for children with eating disorders.
As virtual reality technologies continue to develop, these types of devices bring us closer to fully immersive experiences, combining sights, sounds and now taste in the digital world.
