A team of researchers at Tokyo-based Keio University came up with a solution to make sucking candy more fun: dubbed TagCandy, their device intensifies the taste of real popsicles using augmented reality (the use of this term is a bit of a stretch in this case, but OK). All that users need to do is to stick the candy into the device and start licking it.
When your mouth touches the popsicle, a sensor built into the device detects the action and passes the information on to a vibration speaker. This speaker can produce various sensations, i.e. crisp apple or fizzy soda, depending on your choice. TagCandy’s makers says even the sensations of “fireworks and airplanes” can be imitated.
The system also detects when you start biting into the candy with your teeth, producing a sound through bone conduction in that case. TagCandy’s makers now think of ways to share candy sensations on the Internet, it seems (no joke).
Watch this video (shot by our friends over at DigInfoNews) to see how this works (subbed in English):