Can virtual reality trick us into thinking we're eating the good stuff?
Jinsoo An is taking dining digital. His new idea, Project Nourished, still very much in the development stage, aims to reconstruct and mimic calorie-rich foods with hydrocolloid polymer substitutes, whilst creating a virtual reality in which the original food can be seen. Thus enabling the user to “eat anything you want, without regret”.

Inspired by a scene in Hook (1991), in which the Peter Pan (Robin Williams) learns to wish food into existence, An imagined a way to help his father who was unable to eat to foods that he enjoyed due to diabetes.

The concept is comprised of the virtual reality headset, food detection sensor, motion sensor and aromatic diffuser, all of which combine to simulate the dining experience - tricking the brain into believing the food that is being eaten is the food displayed within the virtual display.

The food itself is composed of hydrocolloid polymers and gums which contain ingredients derived from algae seaweed and microbials, all of which are combined to create a substitute food with “new food aesthetics”. The low calorific nature of the polymers and gums points to Project Nourish’s aim to reduce the intake of excess calories and, looking into the future, potentially reduce obesity and other food related illnesses.

It's interesting to see virtual reality's remit gradually expanding to the point where it can now augment the dining experience. A more traditional but equally innovative application of VR is The Museum of Stolen Art which offers visitors the chance to see famous works that have gone missing and are yet to be retrieved - an exhibition that can't exist in the physical world.