Squirting Gel Bring The Flavors Of Cake And Coffee To Virtual Reality!
Imagine walking through a virtual world, seeing a cake, and then tasting it. Researchers have moved a step closer to making this dream a reality with a device that can deliver virtual tastes directly to your tongue.
What is e-Taste?
The system, called e-Taste, uses a unique method to simulate taste by squirting chemicals onto the tongue. It detects chemicals in food and then transmits that information wirelessly to a device that releases similar or equivalent chemicals, mimicking real-world flavors. This technology, reported in Science Advances on February 28, could change the way we experience virtual reality.
How Does e-Taste Work?
The e-Taste device uses five edible chemicals to replicate basic tastes:
- Glucose for sweetness
- Citric acid for sourness
- Sodium chloride for saltiness
- Magnesium chloride for bitterness
- Glutamate for savory umami
These chemicals are mixed into gels inside the device and pumped through tiny channels to a flexible ribbon-like conduit that is placed on the user’s tongue. By combining these chemicals in different proportions, the device can mimic flavors like cake, coffee, or lemonade.
Testing e-Taste’s Accuracy
To test the device, researchers had participants identify varying levels of sourness delivered by e-Taste. They then created complex tastes, including lemonade, cake, fried egg, fish soup, and coffee. Six participants were able to correctly identify these tastes with an accuracy of nearly 87%, with lemonade and cake being the easiest to recognize.
Challenges in Simulating Taste
While the e-Taste system is promising, it still has limitations. Taste alone isn’t enough to fully replicate the sensory experience of real food. Yizhen Jia, one of the researchers, points out that “real coffee comes with the smells and feeling of coffee.” The system can deliver taste, but the full sensory experience includes smell and texture, which the device currently cannot replicate.
The Future of Virtual Taste
Researchers are working on adding smell to the experience by using gas sensors and machine learning, aiming to make virtual reality more immersive. The technology also holds potential for sensory rehabilitation, helping people who have lost their sense of taste, such as due to COVID-19.
However, the biggest challenge may be getting people to wear a device that squirts chemicals onto their tongue. Nimesha Ranasinghe, a computer scientist not involved in the study, notes that people are typically cautious about what goes into their mouths. How the device feels and fits will play a significant role in its future success.
As researchers continue to improve e-Taste, it could change the way we experience flavors in virtual spaces and even help those who have lost their taste senses. The future of virtual taste looks promising, but it may still need a little more refinement before it becomes mainstream.
