Developing a Digital Taste Sensor: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Enhancing Human Sensory Experience

The human sensory experience is comprehensive, encompassing vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Technological advancements have led to the development of sensors that mimic human senses such as cameras for vision, microphones for hearing, and touch screens for touch. However, there remains a significant gap in replicating the complexity of human taste. This paper explores the concept of sensor fusion to digitally emulate the human taste experience by combining olfactory and gustatory data. This research aims to address the need for a digital taste sensor, particularly for individuals who have lost their sense of taste due to illnesses such as COVID-19. We propose a novel approach for the collection and storage of taste data, leveraging advancements in light, chemical sensing, and electromagnetic technologies, and integrating Generative AI to develop a sensor capable of mimicking the human taste experience.