A Japanese professor has developed a prototype touchable TV screen that can mimic the taste of food, another step towards creating a multi-sensory viewing experience. The device, called Taste the TV (TTTV), uses a carousel of 10 flavoring canisters that spray in combination to create the flavor of a particular food. The flavor sampler then rolls onto clean film on a flat TV screen for the audience.
In COVID-19 era, such technology could enhance the way people connect and interact with the outside world, said Professor Homi Miyashita of Meiji University. “The goal is to make it possible for people to experience something like eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world while still being at home,” he said.
Miyashita works with a team of about 30 students to produce a variety of flavor-related equipment, including a fork that enriches the flavor of food. He said he has built the TTTV prototype himself over the past year and a commercial version will cost around JPY 100,000 (about Rs 65,700). Potential applications include distance learning for sommeliers and cooks, and tasting games and quizzes, he said.
Miyashita is also in talks with companies about using its spray technology, such as a device that can apply pizza or chocolate flavor to a slice of toasted bread. He also hopes to create a platform where flavors from all over the world can be downloaded and enjoyed by users, just like music is now.
A student from Meiji made a TTTV performance for reporters, telling on screen that she wanted to taste sweet chocolate. After a few tries, an automated voice repeated the command and flavor jets sprayed a sample onto a plastic sheet. “It’s like milk chocolate,” she said. “It’s as sweet as chocolate sauce.”
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