The effects of haptic, visual and olfactory augmentations on food consumed while wearing an extended reality headset

Natalia Karhu, Jussi Rantala*, Ahmed Farooq, Antti Sand, Kyösti Pennanen, Jenni Lappi, Mohit Nayak, Nesli Sozer, Roope Raisamo

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

Abstract

The current food production system is unsustainable, necessitating a shift towards plant-based diets. Nutritious options fulfill basic needs but may not satisfy hedonic ones. Our novel approach is to promote healthier eating habits without compromising on the pleasantness of eating by using extended reality technologies and multimodal interaction. We present a multisensory augmentation system integrating augmentations in olfaction, touch, and vision. We studied the experience of eating plant-based balls and meatballs. In an experiment with 40 participants, haptic and visual augmentations were found to have significant effects: augmented meatballs and plant-based balls were perceived as bigger and heavier compared to non-augmented versions. However, olfactory augmentation did not produce a similar effect: participants did not notice a stronger aroma with augmented balls compared to non-augmented balls, and the augmented plant-based version had a less appealing scent than its non-augmented counterpart. Moreover, the findings of the study indicate that our multisensory augmentation system had no significant effect on taste perception.

Original languageEnglish
Article number103871
JournalJournal on Multimodal User Interfaces
DOIs
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 2024
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

Open access funding provided by Tampere University (including Tampere University Hospital). This work was supported by the Research Council of Finland (Grant Numbers 326415 and 316805).

Keywords

  • Augmented reality
  • Eating experiences
  • Haptics
  • Mixed reality
  • Multisensory augmentation
  • Olfaction

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