A Japanese inventor has developed a prototype for a “lickable” TV screen that can reflect the flavors of food, another step toward creating a multisensory viewing experience.
The device, called Taste the TV (TTTV), uses 10 flavor packs that are sprayed together to create a specific food flavour. The flavor sample is then wrapped and placed on a flat screen TV for the viewer to sample.
In the era of COVID-19, this type of technology can enhance the way people communicate and interact with the outside world, said Homi Miyashita, a professor at Meiji University in Tokyo, noting that “the goal is to enable people to experience something like eating in a restaurant on the side.” The other side of the world, even while staying at home.
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 a prototype for TTTV over the past year and that the commercial version will cost about 100,000 yen (about $875).