Most of us dream of a future with amazing inventions and cool technology that will alter our daily lives.
Well, this latest invention brings a whole new meaning to the word cool. A “vocktail” or “virtual cocktail” is a glass that can either change the ingredients of your liquid of choice to make the cocktail even more intense or make a plain water taste like a pricey glass of scotch!
Developed by researchers at the National University of Singapore, the Vocktail resembles a typical cocktail glass which instead fits nicely into a 3D-printed mold that, According to Forbes, contains the electronics necessary for multi-sensory piquancy. A vocktail works by using layers of sensory stimulation; the first one is the color cast onto the liquid via LED, which gives our brains an idea of what to expect from the flavor. The virtual cocktail also comes with an app which allows the user to customize their drink by choosing both the color and flavor by altering the stimuli using Bluetooth.
Along with this framework, the researcher and his team are also working on Taste Over IP, a system for transmitting flavors over the internet, something that will fascinate the public.
The possibilities! Begin with simply water tasting like wine. But what if we could reproduce this incredible idea for Individually branded spirits and beer?
Food! Think Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. How about eating a wholesome super food where the taste can actually translate to that of a cheeseburger?
No word yet on when the vocktail will be available. I will certainly be one of the first to give it a twirl.
At IBC Shell, we’re developing multisensory identification – a full spectrum of taste, flavor and scent recognition for an entire range of beverages.