TOKYO, Dec. 26 (BUS): A Japanese professor has developed a prototype of a lickable TV screen that can imitate the flavors of food, another step toward creating a multisensory viewing experience.
The device, called Taste the TV (TTTV), uses a swirl of 10 flavor cans that are sprayed together to create a specific food taste. The flavor sample is then wrapped on healthy film on a flat screen TV for the viewer to sample.
Meiji University professor Homi Miyashita said that in the era of COVID-19, this type of technology can enhance the way people communicate and interact with the outside world.
“The goal is to enable people to experience something like eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world, even while staying at home,” he said, according to Reuters.
Miyashita works with a team of about 30 students who have produced a variety of flavor related devices, including a fork that makes food taste richer. He said he built the TTTV prototype himself over the past year and that the commercial version will cost about 100,000 yen ($875).
He said potential applications include distance learning for bartenders and chefs, tasting games and tests.
Miyashita has also been in talks with companies about using his spray technology for applications such as a device that can apply the taste of pizza or chocolate to a slice of toast.
He also hopes to create a platform where tastes from around the world can be downloaded and enjoyed by users, just like music now.
One of the Meiji students showed TTTV to reporters, telling the screen that she wanted to taste sweet chocolate. After several attempts, a robotic sound repeated the arrangement and jets of flavor sprayed a sample onto a plastic sheet.
“It’s a bit like milk chocolate,” she said. “It’s as sweet as chocolate sauce.”
HF