The “lollipop”-like devices allow users to “try” up to nine different flavors in virtual reality. (Photo credit: Yiming Liu)
Virtual reality (VR) could soon become much more realistic thanks to a lickable device that lets you “taste” virtual worlds.
A small, lollipop-like interface can reproduce up to nine flavors and can even be combined with aromas to make the taste experience more natural, scientists reported in a new study published November 25 in the journal PNAS.
“There are five basic human senses: vision, hearing, touch, olfaction, and taste,” lead author Yiming Liu, a biomedical engineering researcher at the City University of Hong Kong and the University of Tokyo, told Live Science via email. “To create an immersive VR experience for users, we aim to showcase all five senses by creating a seamless 3D virtual world (similar to the OASIS in Ready Player One).”
The licking device contains small sacs filled with gels. These gels contain chemical compounds that, when combined with saliva, produce different flavors. These currently include salt, sugar, cherry, citric acid, green tea, passion fruit, grapefruit, durian, and milk.
Each flavor is released only when a small electrical current is passed through the corresponding gel, and the amount released depends on the amount of voltage applied. This allows several flavors to be combined to create new taste sensations.
The team suggested that, in addition to enhancing immersion in virtual reality, the device could have practical applications, including taste testing by doctors, online grocery shopping, and educational purposes.
This isn't the first time researchers have sought to add taste to virtual reality. Previous studies have looked at directly applying taste chemicals to the tongue and stimulating them with heat and electricity.
This latest development offers a precise, low-energy option in a compact and portable design. However, Liu noted that the technology is still in its early stages and has its limitations. In particular, the gels only remain active for about an hour after licking. The team aims to increase this shelf life and diversify the flavors available.
Pandora DewanSocial Links NavigationTrend News Editor
Pandora is the news editor at Live Science. She is also a science anchor and previously worked as a senior science and health reporter at Newsweek. Pandora holds a degree in biological sciences from the University of Oxford, where she specialized in biochemistry and molecular biology.
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