Scientists Add Taste to VR with 'Lollipop-Shaped' Device

Researchers from Hong Kong have created a handheld user interface in the shape of a lollipop that can recreate various flavors in a virtual environment, the latest technology aimed at making VR more immersive.

Ars Technica reports that in the world of VR technology, scientists have been striving to incorporate the full range of human senses into virtual and mixed-reality environments. While sight, sound, and even touch have been successfully integrated, the sense of taste has proven to be a challenging frontier. However, a team of researchers from the City University of Hong Kong has made a significant breakthrough by developing a lollipop-shaped user interface capable of simulating multiple flavors in a virtual setting.

The study details the creation of a portable device that utilizes iontophoresis, a method in which ions flow through biologically safe hydrogels to deliver flavor chemicals. This approach offers several advantages over previous attempts at creating a flavor user interface, such as chemical, thermal, and electrical stimulation. Iontophoresis provides precise taste feedback, requires low power consumption, and presents a more natural “human-machine interface.”

The researchers improved upon recent advancements in this field by developing a miniaturized, lollipop-shaped device that enhances both flavor quality and consistency. The device’s compact design was achieved by optimizing the layout of components on two layers of ultra-thin printed circuit boards housed within a lightweight, 3D-printed Nylon casing. The lollipop features nine taste-generating channels filled with flavored hydrogels made from agarose, mineral water, and specific flavor essences, including sugar, salt, citric acid, cherry, milk, green tea, passion fruit, durian, and grapefruit.

To generate flavors, a current flows through a targeted gel, delivering flavor chemicals to the surface of the lollipop. Users can then lick the device to experience the desired tastes. The researchers also found that incorporating specific odor chemicals further enhances the perception of taste. However, the device’s current limitation is its operating time of approximately one hour, as the chemically infused hydrogels shrink and lose their flavor over time. Future research will focus on extending the device’s operational duration.