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Scientists are working on making that a reality.', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000e01xbm355mdn4@published'}, {'data': {'text': '<iframe width="100%" height="165px" frameborder="0" src="https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?&feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amperwave.net%2Fv2%2Fepisode%2F6529446_2024-09-21-111046&withPlaylist=false&theme=dark&playerDisplay-download=false&playerDisplay-logoType=Audacy"></iframe>', 'isIframe': True, 'componentVariation': 'html-embed', 'fbInstantArticleHtml': '<iframe width="100%" height="165px" frameborder="0" src="https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?&feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amperwave.net%2Fv2%2Fepisode%2F6529446_2024-09-21-111046&withPlaylist=false&theme=dark&playerDisplay-download=false&playerDisplay-logoType=Audacy"></iframe>'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/html-embed/instances/cm7qiu8lo000f01xb10y5ta2y@published'}, {'data': {'text': 'They have already created an interface called “e-Taste” that is able to “facilitate the remote perception of taste,” using sensors and wireless chemical dispensers, <a href="https://news.osu.edu/new-device-could-allow-you-to-taste-a-cake-in-virtual-reality/#:~:text=Novel%20technology%20intends%20to%20redefine,taste%20%E2%80%93%20what%20scientists%20call%20gustation.">according to Ohio State University</a>. Human subjects have taken the interface for a whirl, testing its ability to create the tastes of lemonade, cake, fried egg, fish soup, and coffee.', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000g01xbf0r1h5ej@published'}, {'data': {'text': '<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr4797">Per research published in the Science Advances journal Friday</a>, two different groups were tested separately: a group of 10 test subjects (three female and seven male) and a group of six test subjects (two female and four male). These subjects were between 20 and 45 years old and they went through training sessions before testing the “digital cup” technology.', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000h01xb4yifsl5j@published'}, {'data': {'text': '“They engaged with the multichannel actuation device, the ‘digital cup,’ placing the mouthpiece on their tongues to simulate the tastes determined from authoritative literatures,” the study authors explained. “Following each tasting experience, participants cleansed their mouth with [deionized] water and then identified the food taste they perceived.”', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000i01xbu2q8u084@published'}, {'data': {'text': 'To create the sensation of taste, the technology utilizes an interface to the mouth and a small electromagnetic pump connected to a liquid channel of chemicals. It vibrates when an electric charge passes through it, pushing the solution through a special gel layer and into the mouth of the subject. Sensors used in the “e-Taste” interface are developed to recognize glucose and glutamate, chemicals that create the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000j01xbhwj55waj@published'}, {'data': {'text': '“Once captured via an electrical signal, that data is wirelessly passed to a remote device for replication,” Ohio State University said. The field testing conducted at the university confirmed that the device could “digitally simulate a range of taste intensities, while still offering variety and safety for the user.”', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000k01xbmki9q30x@published'}, {'data': {'text': 'For example, the researchers found that participants in the human trials “could distinguish between different sour intensities in the liquids generated by the system with an accuracy rate of about 70%.” Tests of the system also found that remote tasting could be initiated over long distances – from Ohio to California.', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000l01xbd9na6wf0@published'}, {'data': {'text': '“This will help people connect in virtual spaces in never-before-seen ways,” said <a href="https://mse.osu.edu/people/li.11017">Jinghua Li</a>, co-author of the study and an assistant professor of\xa0<a href="https://mse.osu.edu/">materials science and engineering at Ohio State</a>. “This concept is here and it is a good first step to becoming a small part of the <a href="https://about.meta.com/metaverse/">metaverse</a>.”', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000m01xbtt3cvxm0@published'}, {'data': {'text': 'Existing virtual reality experiences factor in the senses of sight, hearing and touch, three of the five senses. While adding taste is important, Ohio State University noted that it works in tandem with smell. Scientists refer to these as “gustation” (taste) and “olfaction” (smell).', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000n01xb5c7x1u03@published'}, {'data': {'text': '“Taste and smell are greatly related to human emotion and memory,” said Li. “So our sensor has to learn to capture, control and store all that information.”', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000o01xbg6uaeked@published'}, {'data': {'text': 'In 2023, research led by a scientist at City University of Hong Kong <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37678-4">published in the Nature journal</a> found ways to incorporate smell into the VR experience.', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000p01xbnxlro7rk@published'}, {'data': {'text': '“Here, we report a concept of skin-interfaced olfactory feedback systems with wirelessly, programmable capabilities based on arrays of flexible and miniaturized odor generators (OGs) for olfactory VR applications,” said the study.', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7qiu8lo000q01xbb76sy1nh@published'}, {'data': {'text': '<iframe width="100%" height="165px" frameborder="0" src="https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?&feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amperwave.net%2Fv2%2Fepisode%2F7291026_2025-02-20-225626&withPlaylist=false&theme=dark&playerDisplay-download=false&playerDisplay-logoType=Audacy"></iframe>', 'isIframe': True, 'componentVariation': 'html-embed', 'fbInstantArticleHtml': '<iframe width="100%" height="165px" frameborder="0" src="https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?&feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amperwave.net%2Fv2%2Fepisode%2F7291026_2025-02-20-225626&withPlaylist=false&theme=dark&playerDisplay-download=false&playerDisplay-logoType=Audacy"></iframe>'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/html-embed/instances/cm7qiu8lo000r01xby6pmj50k@published'}, {'data': {'text': 'Beyond heightening virtual and augmented reality experiences, Li said that the research on digital taste could provide new insight on how the brain processes sensory signals from the mouth. 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New technology could allow people to taste in virtual reality

By Lauren BarryMar 01, 2025

Lauren Barry

Lauren Barry is a Chicago-based news content producer for Audacy’s central news team. She is the host/co-producer of The On Deadline Podcast, as…

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Have you ever seen an advertisement with food that looked so good that you just wanted to go through your screen and taste it? Scientists are working on making that a reality.

They have already created an interface called “e-Taste” that is able to “facilitate the remote perception of taste,” using sensors and wireless chemical dispensers, according to Ohio State University. Human subjects have taken the interface for a whirl, testing its ability to create the tastes of lemonade, cake, fried egg, fish soup, and coffee.

Per research published in the Science Advances journal Friday, two different groups were tested separately: a group of 10 test subjects (three female and seven male) and a group of six test subjects (two female and four male). These subjects were between 20 and 45 years old and they went through training sessions before testing the “digital cup” technology.

“They engaged with the multichannel actuation device, the ‘digital cup,’ placing the mouthpiece on their tongues to simulate the tastes determined from authoritative literatures,” the study authors explained. “Following each tasting experience, participants cleansed their mouth with [deionized] water and then identified the food taste they perceived.”

To create the sensation of taste, the technology utilizes an interface to the mouth and a small electromagnetic pump connected to a liquid channel of chemicals. It vibrates when an electric charge passes through it, pushing the solution through a special gel layer and into the mouth of the subject. Sensors used in the “e-Taste” interface are developed to recognize glucose and glutamate, chemicals that create the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.

“Once captured via an electrical signal, that data is wirelessly passed to a remote device for replication,” Ohio State University said. The field testing conducted at the university confirmed that the device could “digitally simulate a range of taste intensities, while still offering variety and safety for the user.”

For example, the researchers found that participants in the human trials “could distinguish between different sour intensities in the liquids generated by the system with an accuracy rate of about 70%.” Tests of the system also found that remote tasting could be initiated over long distances – from Ohio to California.

“This will help people connect in virtual spaces in never-before-seen ways,” said Jinghua Li, co-author of the study and an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Ohio State. “This concept is here and it is a good first step to becoming a small part of the metaverse.”

Existing virtual reality experiences factor in the senses of sight, hearing and touch, three of the five senses. While adding taste is important, Ohio State University noted that it works in tandem with smell. Scientists refer to these as “gustation” (taste) and “olfaction” (smell).

“Taste and smell are greatly related to human emotion and memory,” said Li. “So our sensor has to learn to capture, control and store all that information.”

In 2023, research led by a scientist at City University of Hong Kong published in the Nature journal found ways to incorporate smell into the VR experience.

“Here, we report a concept of skin-interfaced olfactory feedback systems with wirelessly, programmable capabilities based on arrays of flexible and miniaturized odor generators (OGs) for olfactory VR applications,” said the study.

Beyond heightening virtual and augmented reality experiences, Li said that the research on digital taste could provide new insight on how the brain processes sensory signals from the mouth. The study noted that it could also and help people with traumatic brain injuries or who suffer from gustatory loss from Long COVID. Per a 2023 study, more than 23% of adults who had COVID-19 and lost their sense of taste reported either partial or no gustatory recovery.

“The gustatory interface will pave the way for a new era of AR/VR systems with chemical components by allowing users not only to visualize and hear virtual environments but also to taste them,” said the study. “This will elevate immersion levels and lay the groundwork for the ‘Metaverse.’ Potential applications include immersive gaming, online shopping, remote education, weight management, sensory testing, physical rehabilitation, and others.”

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