Taste, smell and feel artwork at Tate Sensorium BBC News

Summary

The video explores a groundbreaking 'sensorium' room that immerses users in a multi-sensory experience, combining sight, smell, touch, and sound. Using technologies like ultrasound and vortex rings, the room allows people to feel invisible objects and interact with virtual experiences in ways never before possible. The experiment delves into how different areas of the hand evoke positive or negative emotions, and even transmits unique tastes, challenging the boundaries of how we engage with technology. This prototype by Disney marks the beginning of a future where virtual experiences expand beyond screens into fully immersive sensations.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Sensorium is an interactive room that incorporates smell with visuals to recreate historical experiences.
• 😀 A 1948 best-selling perfume is featured in the exhibition, bringing nostalgic scents to visitors.
• 😀 Old furniture polish spray, like Pledge, is used to evoke a familiar yet unappealing scent.
• 😀 The Sensorium features tactile experiences, such as feeling ultrasound-based ‘raindrops’ to interact with technology in a new way.
• 😀 The future of technology may involve not just visual and auditory experiences, but also haptic (touch) interactions.
• 😀 Invisible shapes made of wind and ultrasound are experienced, giving visitors the sensation of holding an object they can’t see.
• 😀 The exhibition explores the idea of expanding beyond screens to engage multiple senses, like touch and smell, for a richer experience.
• 😀 A Disney prototype demonstrates how users could feel objects in video games or TV by using tactile feedback on their hands.
• 😀 Research shows that certain areas of the hand, such as the index and thumb, are associated with positive feelings when touched, while the pinky and palm’s edge evoke negative feelings.
• 😀 The Sensorium aims to engage senses other than sight, with experiments showing how touch can evoke strong emotional responses.
• 😀 Special chocolates with earthy, mud-like flavors are used to explore the concept of transmitting taste, showing the potential for taste as a form of communication.

Q & A

What is the 'sensorium' mentioned in the transcript?

The 'sensorium' is a room designed to immerse the user in a multi-sensory experience. It includes not only visuals but also the addition of smell and touch to enhance the experience, taking the user back in time or offering new sensory interactions.

What type of smell is used in the sensorium, and what is its significance?

The sensorium uses smells such as the scent of a 1948 best-selling perfume. This smell is used to evoke a sense of nostalgia or bring users back to a particular time period.

How does the technology in the sensorium affect the user’s sense of touch?

The sensorium employs ultrasound technology to create invisible objects that users can 'feel.' These objects are perceived as shapes or forms made out of wind, which users can almost physically interact with despite being invisible.

What future technology does the transcript suggest could be part of our daily lives?

The transcript suggests that in the future, technology could move beyond visual and auditory stimuli to include sensations of touch and even smell, creating a more immersive and interactive experience for users.

What is the purpose of the fluttering butterfly demonstration with ultrasound technology?

The butterfly demonstration uses ultrasound to create the sensation of fluttering wings when users touch the projected butterfly on their hand. The pulse frequency of the vortex rings used in this experiment corresponds to the fluttering sensation, showing how touch could be integrated with visuals.

What emotional responses did the experiments with touch technology provoke?

The experiments found that different areas of the hand triggered different emotional reactions. Stimulation near the index finger and thumb, especially when moving toward the body, was associated with positive emotions, while stimulation near the pinky and the edge of the palm, moving away from the body, was linked to negative feelings.

How does the transcript describe the relationship between touch and emotional responses?

The transcript highlights that touch is closely linked to emotional responses. Different touch sensations, depending on where they occur on the body and the direction of movement, can provoke positive or negative feelings, demonstrating the emotional impact of physical sensations.

What is the goal of the exhibition described in the transcript?

The exhibition aims to explore the idea of engaging more than just the sense of sight and sound, by incorporating additional senses like touch and smell. It represents the beginning of a desire to move beyond screens and create a more immersive, multi-sensory world.

What is notable about the special chocolates mentioned in the transcript?

The special chocolates featured in the transcript have an earthy taste, described as tasting like 'mud.' Despite the unusual flavor, it is described as surprisingly enjoyable, offering a unique sensory experience beyond traditional tastes.

Why does the taste of the chocolates evoke such a strong reaction in the user?

The unusual, earthy flavor of the chocolates evokes a strong reaction because it is so different from what people typically expect from chocolate. The taste is described as somewhat sour but in an enjoyable way, presenting a novel and memorable sensory experience.