A cooking simulator under development in Japan allows people to experience the thrill of cooking even when their fridge is empty and their belly is full. It might also help them hone their skills so they don’t overcook a pricey steak.
The simulator features a “force feedback fry pan and spatula to accurately re-create the sense of cooking,” explains video news site DigInfo TV.
The gadget is under development at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and includes a display to show the user visible changes to their food caused by heating. See a steak go from red to brown and carrots blackened to a crisp, for example.
In the future, researchers hope to pair the system with a meal you’re actually cooking so that it could help you forecast how long to leave your food in the pan by giving a virtual peek at your steak in five minutes and 10 minutes.
Or, if you spend too much time cooking just for the pleasure of cooking, the simulator will let you have all the fun without any obligation to eat the meal you prepare.
– via DigInfo TV
John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.
