Homei Miyashita, a professor at Meiji University in Tokyo, developed a prototype of a lickable TV screen that can imitate flavors. Taste the TV (TTTV) uses 10 flavor canisters that spray in combination to create a flavor sample on a hygienic film that mimics the taste of a particular food, per an article from Reuters*.
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Miyashita built the TTTV prototype himself over the past year and he estimates that a commercial version would cost about 100,000 yen ($875) to make.
Potential uses for the device include distance learning for sommeliers and cooks and tasting games and quizzes. The spray technology can be used for toppings, like applying a pizza or chocolate flavor to a slice of bread.
Miyashita also hopes to make a platform where tastes from around the world can be downloaded and enjoyed by users, according to the article.
Miyashita said, "In the COVID-19 era, this kind of technology can enhance the way people connect and interact with the outside world. The goal is to make it possible for people to have the experience of something like eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world, even while staying at home."
*Tasty TV: Japanese professor creates flavourful screen
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