Electric gum with permanent taste

In 2003, a Chinese traditional pharmacist Hong Lik (Han Luc) developed e-cigarettes with the modern shape as today. However, if in history, in 1963, Herbert A. Gilbert, the American, was the person who had the first idea of ​​e-cigarettes and he was granted a patent by the government.

Picture 1 of Electric gum with permanent taste
31st Conference of Technology and Software Interface for consumers, in Berlin (Germany).

So far, there has been a lot of controversy about its harms, especially the recent fires that left 14-year-old Leor Domatov in Brooklyn (USA) blind or like a 17-year-old boy in New York was flown through a window, or as a 33-year-old man in Surrey (UK) had a leaked hot nicotine solution that punctured the lungs .

However, while the debate about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes has not yet fallen, it is the turn of gum . A group of researchers at Meiji University, Japan, has succeeded in creating electric gum.

In fact, in 2014, researchers thought of using electricity to deceive taste. A spoon covered with electrodes gave the testers basic taste salty, sweet, sour, bitter. The purpose of this test is to help those who are on diet due to diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure . still enjoy the taste.

One of the experts in this field is Nimesha Ranasinghe (Sri Lanka), who also worked on this principle. He designed a virtual cocktail called "vocktail" that 'consumers' can choose their favorite flavor and color with a mobile application. The device will activate the colored light-emitting system located at the bottom of the glass, and the electrodes outside the glass also give programmed 'flavors' . In addition, he also designed electric nipples on the same principle.

Picture 2 of Electric gum with permanent taste
A group of researchers at Meiji University, Japan, has succeeded in creating electric gum.

And now it is the turn of gum power, which also follows the same principle. To prevent wires from coming out of the mouth or chewing in order to make the toxic components appear, scientists chose to use piezoelectric . It is a material capable of creating a field or a voltage under the effect of mechanical effects. In order to protect against contact with the palate and saliva, this material is thoroughly covered by a film. And when subjected to the force of impact that causes the twisting, deforming or chewing, this piezoelectric material creates an electric current that triggers the flavor of 'candy'.

80 participants said that these "candies" taste salty and bitter like niboshi, a common type of dried herring in Japan. That is to bring a taste that is not delicious and totally unsuitable for Westerners, but at least there are two advantages: one is chewing nostalgically without losing flavor (!), The two seats are The public and the street do not get candy.

This achievement was presented at the 31st, 2018 Symposium, in Berlin (Germany) on Technology and Consumer Software Interface (User Interface Software and Technology Symposium).