A new technology aims to expand the virtual reality (VR) experience by introducing a previously untapped sensory connection: taste.
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The interface, known as ‘e-Taste,’ integrates sensors and wireless chemical dispensers to enable the remote perception of taste, or gustation. These sensors are designed to detect molecules such as glucose and glutamate, which correspond to the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Once these chemical signatures are converted into electrical signals, the data is transmitted wirelessly to a remote device for replication.
Researchers at The Ohio State University conducted field tests confirming the device’s ability to digitally simulate varying taste intensities while maintaining safety and variety for users.
The chemical dimension in the current VR and AR realm is relatively underrepresented, especially when we talk about olfaction and gustation. It’s a gap that needs to be filled and we’ve developed that with this next-generation system.
Jinghua Li, Study Co-Author and Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University
Inspired by Li’s previous work in biosensors, the e-Taste system operates with an actuator composed of two key components: a mouth interface and a small electromagnetic pump. The pump is connected to a liquid channel containing taste-inducing chemicals, which are released through a special gel layer into the user’s mouth when activated by an electric charge.
The duration of contact between the gel and the chemical solution determines the intensity of the taste experience, according to Li.
Based on the digital instruction, you can also choose to release one or several different tastes simultaneously so that they can form different sensations.
Jinghua Li, Study Co-Author and Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University
The study, published today in Science Advances, highlights how taste is a dynamic sense influenced by both gustatory and olfactory processes, which together help assess food safety and nutritional value.
“Taste and smell are greatly related to human emotion and memory. So our sensor has to learn to capture, control, and store all that information,” said Li.
Despite the challenge of replicating taste experiences consistently across different users, human trials showed promising results. Participants were able to differentiate between various sour intensities with approximately 70 % accuracy.
Further testing examined e-Taste’s ability to enhance virtual food experiences and assess its long-range capabilities. In one experiment, remote tasting was successfully initiated in Ohio from as far away as California. Another test involved participants identifying five different virtual foods, including lemonade, cake, fried egg, fish soup, and coffee.
While the technology has clear implications for immersive VR experiences, the researchers emphasize its broader significance in understanding how the brain processes sensory input from the mouth.
Future development efforts will focus on miniaturizing the system and expanding its compatibility with a wider range of chemical compounds that contribute to taste perception. Beyond gaming, this innovation could enhance accessibility in virtual spaces, particularly for individuals with sensory impairments due to conditions such as traumatic brain injuries or Long COVID.
This will help people connect in virtual spaces in never-before-seen ways. This concept is here and it is a good first step to becoming a small part of the metaverse.
Jinghua Li, Study Co-Author and Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University
Journal Reference:
Chen, S., et al. (2025) A sensor-actuator–coupled gustatory interface chemically connecting virtual and real environments for remote tasting. Science Advances. doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14503737