Revolutionary Device to Transmit Taste
Have you ever dreamed of tasting exquisite dishes that you see online? We have some exciting news for you.
A team of scientists has created a groundbreaking device that allows the transmission of food and drink flavors over distances and shares them in mere seconds.
This innovation is detailed in a scientific study published in the journal Science Advances, as reported by The Guardian.
The American researchers named their device e-Taste. It comprises two main components:
- "electronic tongue" – a device that captures data on the concentration of five different flavor chemicals in a liquid food or drink sample and transmits this information wirelessly;
- a device that uses small electromagnetic pumps to push liquids through a gel layer containing five edible flavor chemicals and delivers them to the mouth.
The flavor chemicals can be mixed before serving, corresponding to those found in the original products:
- glucose – for sweet flavor;
- citric acid – for sour;
- sodium chloride (salt) – for salty;
- magnesium chloride – for bitter;
- glutamate – for savory.
The system also allows for the delivery of flavorings to specific areas of the tongue. According to the researchers, this could potentially be used for studying taste perception.
The team conducted a series of tests with their system. In one experiment, ten volunteers were asked to identify varying levels of acidity in the generated liquids. Participants were able to do so with an accuracy of 70%.
In another test, six volunteers tasted different combinations of liquids with flavorings designed to represent five different dishes and drinks: lemonade, cake, eggs, coffee, and fish soup.
Then the participants tasted the liquid generated by the system. They matched the flavors to the products with an accuracy of nearly 87%.
The scientists believe that e-Taste could enhance virtual and augmented reality systems by increasing immersion effects. It could also potentially be used for biomedical research or even "virtual culinary adventures".
However, the team notes that the system requires further development, as they have not yet been able to fully recreate sharpness and richness of taste.
As a reminder, researchers previously developed a bionic leg prosthesis controlled by brain signals.
