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Japanese professor invents lickable TV screen

Lickable TV - Level 0

You can soon taste the food you see on cooking shows. Professor Homei Miyashita made a model TV screen that you can lick. It is called "Taste the TV" (TTTV). Miyashita said it could become "taste-a-vision". Miyashita hopes technology can move on from just pictures and sound. We can also use our sense of taste on TTTV.

Professor Miyashita's TTTV screen copies food flavours. It is like a printer. It has 10 cartridges that spray flavours onto the screen. The TV viewer can lick this to try the taste. The professor wants people to experience eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world, "even while staying at home". TTTV will cost about $870.

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Lickable TV - Level 1

Soon, you will be able to taste the food you see on cooking shows. Professor Homei Miyashita made a model TV screen that you can lick. It is called TTTV. This means "Taste the TV". Miyashita said it could become "taste-a-vision". If he created a screen with smells, we would have "smell-a-vision". Miyashita hopes the technology can move on from just having pictures and sound. We will soon have screens on which we can use our sense of taste too.

Professor Miyashita said his screen copies food flavours. It works like an inkjet printer. TTTV uses 10 different flavour cartridges. These spray combinations of flavours onto the TV screen. The TV viewer can lick this to try the taste. The professor said: "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." TTTV could cost about $870.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Lickable TV - Level 2

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Have you ever wanted to taste the food you see on cooking shows? A professor in Japan has brought that technology a step closer. Professor Homei Miyashita made a prototype TV screen that you can lick. It is called TTTV, which means "Taste the TV". Professor Miyashita said it could become "taste-a-vision". If he created a screen that smells, we could also have "smell-a-vision". Miyashita wanted to create a screen we can use with more senses. He hopes the technology can move on from just having pictures and sound, to screens on which we can use our sense of taste too.

Professor Miyashita said his screen copies food flavours. It works like an inkjet printer. Instead of ink cartridges, TTTV uses 10 different flavour cartridges. These spray a combination of flavours onto a hygienic film on the TV screen. The TV viewer can lick this to sample the taste. The professor said: "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." One of his students said a chocolate she saw on the screen tasted like a sweet chocolate sauce. TTTV could cost about $870.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Lickable TV - Level 3

Have you ever wanted to taste the delicious-looking food you see on cooking shows? Well, that wish has moved a step closer. A professor in Japan has developed a prototype TV screen that you can lick. It is called TTTV. This abbreviation means "Taste the TV". Professor Homei Miyashita from Meiji University in Tokyo created the screen. He said it could become "taste-a-vision". If he created a screen that emits smells, we could also have "smell-a-vision". Professor Miyashita wanted to create a screen that gave a multisensory experience. He hopes his work means that screen technology can move on from just having pictures and sound to a screen that engages the sense of taste too.

Professor Miyashita said his screen can imitate food flavours. It works a bit like an inkjet printer that uses different cartridges to create different colours. Instead of ink, Miyashita's TTTV uses 10 different flavour cartridges. These spray a combination of flavours onto a hygienic film that is part of the TV screen. The TV viewer can then lick the screen to sample the taste. Professor Miyashita said: "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." A student at Meiji University sampled a chocolate she saw on the screen. She said: "It's sweet like a chocolate sauce." Miyashita said TTTV would cost about $870.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson