Japanese Professor Invents a TV Screen You Can Taste

Japanese professor Homei Miyashita from Meiji University has devised Taste the TV, a new gadget that allows users to taste what they see on screen.

The prototype is comprised of 10 flavor canisters, which are activated by licking the television's surface. The sprays then coat a changeable film overlay via the transmission of electrical signals. Designed for those in the culinary industry, the device can be utilized as a taste-testing tool for cooks and sommeliers alike. There are several applications embedded within the TV as per the demonstration below, such as "sommelier training," "taste piano" and "video chat with taste." Miyashita hopes that the invention can be used as a platform to download tastes, akin to that of a digital music library.

Taste the TV has long been in the works, and a teaser of the device was released earlier in October this year. The concept of a "taste synthesizer" was discussed by Miyashita back in spring 2020. Miyashita estimates that it will cost around ¥100,000 JPY (approximately $875 USD) to produce, though nothing is confirmed as of now.

Take a look at the prototype below.

? ‘Taste the TV’: A Japanese professor has developed a prototype lickable TV screen that can imitate food flavors https://t.co/JWVhiU94z1 pic.twitter.com/ZgxmfTf1Xn

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 23, 2021

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