A new technology aims to expand the virtual experience to include a sensory connection, taste.
e-Taste, the interface, is a combination between sensors and wireless chemical dispensing devices that allows for remote taste perception, or gustation, as scientists refer to it. The sensors can recognize chemicals like glutamate and glucose, which represent five tastes: sweet, sour salty bitter and umami. The data, once captured by an electrical signal is transmitted wirelessly to a distant device. Researchers at The Ohio State University conducted field testing that confirmed the device’s capability to simulate digitally a variety of tastes, but still offer safety and variety for the user.
Jinghua Li is an assistant professor at Ohio State and co-author. She was also the first author of this study. The development of the system was inspired by Li’s previous biosensor research. It uses an actuator that has two parts, an interface for the mouth, and a smaller electromagnetic pump. The pump is connected to a chemical liquid that vibrates with an electrical charge, pushing the solution into the mouth. Li said that depending on how long the solution is in contact with the gel, it’s possible to adjust the strength and intensity of the taste. She said.
Today, the study appeared in Science Advances.
The taste is subjective and can vary from moment to moment. This complex sensation is the result of two chemical senses working together to make sure that what you are eating is healthy and safe. These systems include the gustatory and olfactory senses. Li said
“Taste and smell are greatly related to human emotion and memory,” . Researchers found that despite the difficulties in reproducing similar tastes for most people, in trials with humans, participants were able to distinguish different intensities of sour in liquids produced by the system at a rate of approximately 70% accuracy.
Additional tests assessing eTaste’s capability to immerse participants in a virtual experience of food also analyzed the long-range abilities, showing that remote sampling could be started in Ohio even from California. In another experiment, subjects were asked to name five different food items they could perceive, such as lemonade or cake. They also had the option of choosing between fried eggs, coffee, or fish soup. Li said that while these findings could lead to new VR experiences in the future, they are also important because it may help scientists gain a better understanding of the way the brain interprets sensory information from the mouth. The plans to improve the technology are centered around miniaturizing it and making the system compatible with the different chemicals in foods that create taste sensations.
The study noted that, in addition to helping create a more engaging gaming experience, this work may also be helpful in promoting inclusivity and accessibility in virtual environments for people with disabilities. This includes those who have suffered traumatic brain injury or Long Covid. Li. The other Ohio State authors are Shulin Chan, Yizhen JIa, Tzu Li Liu, Qi Wang, Prasad Nithianandam, Chunyu Yayang, Bowen Duan, Zhaoqian Xie, Xiao Xiao, Changsheng WU from National University of Singapore and Xi Tian, from Tsinghua University. The National Science Foundation supported this work, as did the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at Ohio State University, Center for Emergent Materials, Center for Exploration of Novel Complex Materials and Institute for Materials Research.