The University of Electro-Communications and Osaka University have developed robots intended for human consumption (edible robots), and have discovered that the perception and texture change when eating a moving robot versus a stationary robot. revealed.
“Robots as food” made of edible materials are one of the new forms of food created by advances in science and technology. Until now, the physical aspects and functionality of edible robots have been explored, but the psychological reactions and sensory experiences of people who eat robots have not been fully clarified.
Therefore, this research group conducted an experiment in which they actually ate a robot, and investigated the effects of the perception, taste, and texture of the experiment participants under the condition of eating a moving robot and the condition of eating a non-moving robot. We investigated whether this would change.
The robots eaten by the participants were made from gelatin and sugar, about the same hardness as a commercially available gummy candy, and all pneumatically driven moving parts were made from edible materials. First, when we investigated the sensory reactions of participants to an edible robot that could swing vertically and horizontally, we found that participants were more likely to respond to an edible robot that could move horizontally than vertically. When observed, it was found that the robot felt like it was alive.
Next, when the participants actually ate the robot and evaluated it, they found that when they ate the robot while it was in motion, they felt that the robot was more sensitive to intelligence, emotion, creature-likeness, guilt, and A stronger perception of freshness was reported.
Furthermore, when evaluating the texture from onomatopoeia options such as crunchy, crunchy, and munchy, it was found that different expressions were used depending on the moving and non-moving conditions. From the above, it has been revealed for the first time in the world that eating a moving robot causes changes in human perception and texture.
This research proposes a new concept called "Human-Edible Robot Interaction (HERI)," which is an interaction between humans and edible robots through the experience of "eating" a robot. HERI says it will lead to the creation of new food experiences and medical applications.
Paper information:[PLOS ONE] Exploring the eating experience of a pneumatically-driven edible robot:Perception, taste, and texture
