--- title: "Scientists Say This Device Can Simulate Any Flavor" description: "A researcher in Japan has created a “taste display” that’s capable of producing any flavor for any tongue that’s willing to lick its surface. The “lickable screen” called the “Norimaki Synthesizer” uses five different gels, each corresponding to the five tastes the human tongue can distinguish between — salty, acidic, bitter, sweet, and […]" date: "2020-05-26" modified: "2020-05-26" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/device-simulate-any-flavor" categories: - "Computing" - "Devices" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "electronic tongue" - "Japan" - "taste" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Say This Device Can Simulate Any Flavor ![A team of researchers from Japan have created a "taste display" that's capable of producing any flavor for any tongue that's willing to lick its surface.]() *\Image: Homei Miyashita\* ## Taste Display A Japanese researcher created a "taste display" that's capable of producing any flavor when you lick its surface. The "lickable screen," called the "Norimaki Synthesizer," uses five different gels, each corresponding to the five tastes the human tongue can distinguish between — salty, acidic, bitter, sweet, and umami. By weakening and strengthening these five different tastes through the use of electrical currents, the device can reproduce any "arbitary taste," according to the research. https://youtu.be/7HIm4LoAZxU ## Lickable Screen "Like an optical display that uses lights of three basic colors to produce arbitrary colors, this display can synthesize and distribute arbitrary tastes together with the data acquired by taste sensors," Homei Miyashita, researcher at Meiji University, [explained in a paper]() uploaded to the university's website. The device fooled participants into experiencing "the flavor of everything from gummy candy to sushi without having to place a single item of food in their mouths," according to Miyashita. ## Candy Sushi "When we wrapped the device in dried seaweed, presenting taste of salty and sour with seaweed scent causes illusion of actually eating sushi," he added. He says the technology could add "a whole new medium to multimedia experiences." For instance, as [*Tech Xplore* suggests](), it could be used to spice up boring in-flight meals. Or it might even have a use for weight management, giving users a calorie-free way to indulge their favorite flavors. **READ MORE:** [Digital device serves up a taste of virtual food]() \[*Tech Xplore*\] **More on taste:** *[TASTE-TESTING ROBOTS ARE OPTIMIZING FOOD IN CHINA]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()