Electric Chewing Gum Zaps Your Tongue to Create a Virtual Flavor Hit

Researchers at Meiji University in Japan have developed a piece of chewing gum equipped with piezoelectric elements and electrodes that stimulate taste buds as long as it is chewed.

The technology, called unlimited electric gum, produces a small electric current when it is chewed, which tricks the tongue into sensing different tastes.

The gum currently produces a salty or bitter taste, and the researchers think that by varying the pattern and strength of the electric charge, they can induce all five of the basic tastes: bitter, salty, sour, sweet, and umami.

The researchers presented the technology last week at the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology in Berlin, Germany.

From New Scientist
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