A “virtual cocktail” glass that lets you change the flavor of your drink using your smartphone has been developed by scientists.

Offering a customizable* range of drinks and tastes, the Vocktail can change a glass of water into a cocktail at the press of a button. The world’s first technology tricks your brain into thinking it is experiencing a specific flavor by fooling your senses of sight, smell and taste.

Developed by researchers at the National University of Singapore, the glass’ three sensory components* are controlled via a smartphone app. Because the software can combine a number of smells, colors and tastes, the Vocktail can create almost any flavor.

Developer Nimesha Ranasinghe said: “Our approach is to augment* beverage flavor experience by overlaying external sensory stimuli*. For example, in the Vocktail we overlay color, taste and smell sensations to create an adjustable flavor experience. Flavor is mainly how we perceive food and that’s achieved through the use of these senses. Therefore, by changing the color of the drink, using different smells and changing the taste through electricity, we are able to simulate* the flavor of a drink, without it actually changing the liquid.”

The glass houses three scent cartridges connected to micro-airpumps. The pumps release smell molecules* that change your perception of the beverage’s flavor. For example, a lemon scent will trick your brain into believing it is tasting a lemon-flavored drink.

On the rim of the glass are two electrode* strips that send electric pulses into your tongue to stimulate your taste buds. A jolt of 180 microamps* mimics a sour taste, 80 microamps gives a bitter taste and 40 microamps a salty taste.(SD-Agencies)