316 research outputs found

    Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Multi-Sensorial Approaches to Human-Food Interaction

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    Multisensory technology for flavor augmentation: a mini review

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    There is growing interest in the development of new technologies that capitalize on our emerging understanding of the multisensory influences on flavor perception in order to enhance human-food interaction design. This review focuses on the role of (extrinsic) visual, auditory, and haptic/tactile elements in modulating flavor perception and more generally, our food and drink experiences. We review some of the most exciting examples of recent multisensory technologies for augmenting such experiences. Here, we discuss applications for these technologies, for example, in the field of food experience design, in the support of healthy eating, and in the rapidly-growing world of sensory marketing. However, as the review makes clear, while there are many opportunities for novel human-food interaction design, there are also a number of challenges that will need to be tackled before new technologies can be meaningfully integrated into our everyday food and drink experiences

    Digitizing the chemical senses: possibilities & pitfalls

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    Many people are understandably excited by the suggestion that the chemical senses can be digitized; be it to deliver ambient fragrances (e.g., in virtual reality or health-related applications), or else to transmit flavour experiences via the internet. However, to date, progress in this area has been surprisingly slow. Furthermore, the majority of the attempts at successful commercialization have failed, often in the face of consumer ambivalence over the perceived benefits/utility. In this review, with the focus squarely on the domain of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), we summarize the state-of-the-art in the area. We highlight the key possibilities and pitfalls as far as stimulating the so-called ‘lower’ senses of taste, smell, and the trigeminal system are concerned. Ultimately, we suggest that mixed reality solutions are currently the most plausible as far as delivering (or rather modulating) flavour experiences digitally is concerned. The key problems with digital fragrance delivery are related to attention and attribution. People often fail to detect fragrances when they are concentrating on something else; And even when they detect that their chemical senses have been stimulated, there is always a danger that they attribute their experience (e.g., pleasure) to one of the other senses – this is what we call ‘the fundamental attribution error’. We conclude with an outlook on digitizing the chemical senses and summarize a set of open-ended questions that the HCI community has to address in future explorations of smell and taste as interaction modalities

    Perspectives on Multisensory Human-Food Interaction

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    Space food experiences: designing passenger's eating experiences for future space travel scenarios

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    Given the increasing possibilities of short- and long-term space travel to the Moon and Mars, it is essential not only to design nutritious foods but also to make eating an enjoyable experience. To date, though, perhaps unsurprisingly, most research on space food design has emphasized the functional and nutritional aspects of food, and there are no systematic studies that focus on the human experience of eating in space. It is known, however, that food has a multi-dimensional and multi-sensorial role in societies and that sensory, hedonic, and social features of eating and food design should not be underestimated. Here, we present how research in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) can provide a user-centered design approach to co-create innovative ideas around the future of food and eating in space, balancing functional and experiential factors. Based on our research and inspired by advances in human-food interaction design, we have developed three design concepts that integrate and tackle the functional, sensorial, emotional, social, and environmental/atmospheric aspects of “eating experiences in space.” We can particularly capitalize on recent technological advances around digital fabrication, 3D food printing technology, and virtual and augmented reality to enable the design and integration of multisensory eating experiences. We also highlight that in future space travel, the target users will diversify. In relation to such future users, we need to consider not only astronauts (current users, paid to do the job) but also paying customers (non-astronauts) who will be able to book a space holiday to the Moon or Mars. To create the right conditions for space travel and satisfy those users, we need to innovate beyond the initial excitement of designing an “eating like an astronaut” experience. To do so we carried out a three-stage research and design process: (1) first we collected data on users imaginary of eating in space through an online survey (n = 215) to conceptualize eating experiences for short- and long-term space flights (i.e., Moon, Mars); then (2) we iteratively created three design concepts, and finally (3) asked experts in the field for their feedback on our designs. We discuss our results in the context of the wider multisensory experience design and research space

    Multi-Sensory Human-Food Interaction

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    The Future of Human-Food Interaction

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    There is an increasing interest in food within the HCI discipline, with many interactive prototypes emerging that augment, extend and challenge the various ways people engage with food, ranging from growing plants, cooking ingredients, serving dishes and eating together. Grounding theory is also emerging that in particular draws from embodied interactions, highlighting the need to consider not only instrumental, but also experiential factors specific to human-food interactions. Considering this, we are provided with an opportunity to extend human-food interactions through knowledge gained from designing novel systems emerging through technical advances. This workshop aims to explore the possibility of bringing practitioners, researchers and theorists together to discuss the future of human-food interaction with a particular highlight on the design of experiential aspects of human-food interactions beyond the instrumental. This workshop extends prior community building efforts in this area and hence explicitly invites submissions concerning the empirically-informed knowledge of how technologies can enrich eating experiences. In doing so, people will benefit not only from new technologies around food, but also incorporate the many rich benefits that are associated with eating, especially when eating with others

    Crossmodal interactions between audition and taste: A systematic review and narrative synthesis

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    Taste perception results from integrating all the senses. In the case of audition, research shows that people can associate certain auditory parameters (e.g., pitch) with basic tastes. Likewise, the surrounding sonic environment (e.g., noise, music) may influence individuals’ evaluation of the taste attributes of foods and drinks. This paper presents the first pre-registered systematic examination of the literature on the crossmodal interactions between audition and taste. For that purpose, four indexing services (EBSCOhost, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and PubMed) were searched using three sets of keywords on the crossmodal interactions between audition and basic tastes. Empirical, quantitative studies with healthy subjects in field, lab, or online settings were considered for inclusion. A total of 2484 records (n = 1481 after removing duplicates) were subject to abstract and title screening, followed by a full-text screening (n = 79). Sixty articles, reporting 94 eligible studies, were reviewed. Results suggest that taste may be crossmodally associated with a) pitch and musical instruments; b) words, nonwords, and speech sounds; and c) music and soundtracks. Moreover, the reviewed evidence supports the employment of auditory stimuli in the context of taste modulation, specifically in the case of a) familiar music; b) custom soundtracks, and c) noise, tones, and soundscapes. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive outlook on the multisensory interactions between audition and taste. The results show that audition has a relevant contribution to taste perception with important implications for how foods and drinks are perceived. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed

    The contribution of design in sustaining social activities in central urban squares within large cities: the case of Belo Horizonte

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    Design plays an important role in facilitating (or inhibiting) the performance of social activities in urban open spaces. Although recent literature has acknowledged that visual and non-visual sensory aspects should be taken into account in the design of environments, most theory, practice and teaching of urban design have focused on the visual qualities of spaces. Furthermore, design processes have often been based on the practitioners own intuitions and preferences instead of knowledge of how people interact with urban open spaces. The present research demonstrates that an approach to the multisensory design of urban open spaces responsive to user needs and preferences is feasible and holds the promise of guiding best practice in the creation of high-quality gathering urban open spaces. Using structured interviews, unstructured observation, behavioural mapping techniques, sketch maps and an innovative sensory-behavioural mapping technique, this research identifies fundamental urban design elements and qualities to inform a responsive multisensory approach to design. The methodology proposed is hoped to motivate practitioners to apply environment behaviour knowledge throughout the process of multisensory urban design in different cultural contexts. Further, the urban design elements (props, boundaries, landmarks, spaces, atmospheres, views, anchors and repellents) that emerged from the present study as supportive of social activities in urban open spaces are applicable to the design of most gathering urban open spaces while robustness, richness and legibility are identified as key urban design qualities in attracting and retaining people in these spaces due to their responsiveness to various user needs and preferences
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