Have you ever dreamed of tasting dishes that you see online? We have some exciting news for you.

A team of scientists has developed a unique device that is capable of transmitting the flavors of food and drinks over distances, enabling sharing in just seconds.

This information was published in the scientific journal Science Advances, as reported by The Guardian.

The American researchers named their new device e-Taste. It consists of two main components:

• "electronic tongue" - this component captures data on the concentration of five different flavor chemicals in a liquid sample and transmits this information wirelessly;
• a device that uses tiny electromagnetic pumps to push liquids through a gel layer containing five edible flavor chemicals and delivers them into the mouth.

The flavor chemicals can be mixed prior to serving and correspond to those found in the original product:

• glucose - for sweetness;
• citric acid - for sourness;
• sodium chloride (salt) - for saltiness;
• magnesium chloride - for bitterness;
• glutamate - for umami.

The system also allows for the delivery of flavorants to specific areas of the tongue. According to the researchers, this could potentially be used to study taste perception.

The team conducted a series of tests with their system. In one, ten volunteers were asked to determine different levels of acidity in the generated liquids. Participants were able to do this with 70% accuracy.

In another experiment, six volunteers tried various combinations of liquids with flavorings designed to represent five different dishes and drinks: lemonade, cake, eggs, coffee, and fish soup.

Participants then tasted the liquid generated by the system and matched the flavors to the products with nearly 87% accuracy.

The researchers say that e-Taste could be beneficial for enhancing virtual and augmented reality systems by increasing the immersion effect. It could also potentially be used for biomedical research or even "virtual culinary adventures."

However, the team notes that the system still requires further development, as they have not yet succeeded in fully recreating sharpness and fattiness.

As a reminder, scientists previously developed a bionic leg prosthesis that is controlled by signals from the brain.