A Multi-sensory Kiosk Interface to Familiarize Users with New Foods

Abstract

Familiarity significantly impacts public willingness to try new foods, making novel foods unlikely to be consumed. However, exposing eaters to various sensory modalities---encompassing vision, smell, sound, and touch---prior to eating may enhance their willingness to try these foods. Although multisensory methodologies have already been developed to transmit the sensory cues of food digitally, existing technology is limited to replication, and novel technologies remain relatively scarce in traditional food practices. Through a sensory design activity, multisensory interactions were incorporated into a self-ordering kiosk used for daily food selection. Subsequently, we conducted an experiment to observe how participants perceived a novel food on a multisensory interface, and found them to exhibit a significantly increased willingness to try the food regardless of level of fear. We also observed the multisensory interface to yield statistically significant results in food familiarity and overall satisfaction. These findings suggest that technology that integrates sensory exposure into daily life can effectively educate and familiarize people with novel food products.