Researchers from Hong Kong have created a handheld interface in the shape of a lollipop that can produce multiple flavors in a virtual environment.
According to Saednews' Science and Technology service, Virtual Reality (VR) technology has long aimed to integrate human senses into virtual and mixed-reality environments. Beyond vision and hearing, researchers have worked to incorporate touch, smell, and taste into these technologies through various user interfaces. Now, researchers in Hong Kong have developed a handheld lollipop-shaped interface that can generate several flavors in a virtual world.
According to Ars Technica, the device created by researchers at City University of Hong Kong uses iontophoresis and resembles a regular lollipop. When the user licks it, they experience a taste and sensation as if they were licking a real lollipop. Inside the device, researchers have placed small pouches filled with agar gel. A small voltage (2 volts) activates the chemicals in the gel, causing some to rise to the surface of the lollipop. When the gel mixes with the user's saliva, it creates a taste.
Currently, the device produces nine flavors: sweet, salty, citric acid, cherry, sour fruit, green tea, milk, durian, and grapefruit. Of course, other flavors can be created by altering the materials inside the device.
Tests have shown that the device works almost exactly as expected. The researchers believe their lollipop device could be useful in three main areas: taste testing by doctors, online grocery shopping experiences, and specialized environments where children can experience different flavors in virtual reality games.
The researchers mention that the number of flavors their system can create is limited by the capacity of the lollipop. Typically, after about an hour of licking, the materials inside are used up. They are now working on ways to increase both the longevity and the variety of flavors.
Previously, Japanese researchers developed an electric spoon that generated a salty taste using a different method. However, that spoon was produced in limited quantities and sold commercially. It remains unclear whether the Hong Kong researchers' lollipop device will have commercial applications.
