Logic Bonbon: Exploring Food as Computational Artifact

Document Title

Logic Bonbon: Exploring Food as Computational Artifact

Document Information

• Field of Study: Intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and food design, exploring the potential of food as computational artifacts
• Keywords: Human-Food Interaction, food design, edible fluid computation, food computationality, dynamic design, food personalization, social dining
• Conference and Date: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’22), April 2022

Research Background and Issues

• Existing Problems/Challenges: In current Human-Food Interaction (HFI) and related technologies, food and technology are often treated as two separate entities, with technology merely serving as an external extension of food rather than being integrated into the design of food itself. Existing methods emphasize "surrounding technologies," neglecting the computational potential of food itself.

• Importance of the Research: Food carries not only everyday experiences but also cultural and social values. Designing food that can actively regulate and participate in interactions can redefine food experiences, enhancing taste, visual appeal, and overall dining interactivity.

• Research Motivation: The study aims to explore the potential of food as computational artifacts, combining computational logic with food to break through the traditional concept of "static food" design and position food as a dynamic, malleable interactive medium.

• Related Work: Previous HFI research has largely focused on 3D food printing, edible electronic materials, or augmented reality dining experiences, but has rarely explored how food itself can act as a "computational artifact," i.e., how food can perform computation and dynamic interaction.

Solution

• Proposed Method/Design: Using a "research through design" approach, the authors propose "Logic Bonbon": a liquid-centered dessert capable of performing computation using edible fluid logic gates. This design allows real-time adjustment of the dessert's taste and visual presentation based on user input.

• Innovations:

  1. Treating food itself as a computational artifact rather than a carrier of technology.
  2. Innovatively utilizing fluid computation mechanisms (e.g., liquid logic gates) to perform computation instead of electronic components.
  3. Proposing a four-tier food-computation integration framework: representation, transformation, reconfiguration, and adaptation.

• Implementation Steps:

  1. Referencing traditional logic gate designs (AND, OR, XOR), developing edible fluid-based logic gates.
  2. Using 3D printing and mold-making techniques to create multi-layered food structures.
  3. Experimentally validating the functionality and interactivity of different logic gates.
  4. Conducting user studies to explore the practical experience of assembling, operating, and consuming "Logic Bonbon" at home.

• Key Technologies:

  1. Fluid Computation: Designing basic logical operations using fluid dynamics.
  2. Food Materials and Manufacturing: Selecting malleable and easily processed ingredients such as agar jelly and fruit gummies, combined with 3D printing and mold-making techniques.
  3. Real-Time Dynamic Changes: Triggering computation by applying pressure (e.g., squeezing syrup) to dynamically adjust the dessert's flavor and visual effects.

Research Results

• Specific Outcomes:

  1. Designed and implemented the "Logic Bonbon" prototype, achieving computational functionality through fluid logic gates.
  2. Proposed a four-tier classification framework for food-computation integration, defining the design hierarchy from representation to adaptation.
  3. Established four design considerations (dynamic design, instant personalization, learning-enhanced dining experiences, social dining facilitation).

• Comparison with Existing Solutions and Advantages:

  • This study transforms food from a simple "carrier" to a computational subject, opening a new domain of dynamic interactive food, significantly surpassing static or externally augmented food interaction forms.
  • Provides instant personalization, allowing users to adjust the final taste of the food before dining.
  • Unlike atomized digital-physical separation interactions, it integrates the material properties of food with logical functionality.

• Experimental and Evaluation Results: User studies indicate that Logic Bonbon offers diverse experiences, enhancing users' sensory engagement (taste, visual, and tactile):

  1. Taste and Sensory Experience: Users found the dessert not only delicious but also novel and interesting due to dynamic feedback (e.g., visual and auditory).
  2. Personalized Adjustment: Users appreciated the immediacy of adjusting the dessert's flavor before consumption.
  3. Social and Collaborative Interaction: Collaborative behavior during two-person dining enhanced intimacy and created playful interactions.
  4. Learning Outcomes: Users perceived and understood basic computational logic through operating and consuming the logic candy.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  1. Material Constraints: The physical properties of ingredients (e.g., rigidity and elasticity) limit the implementation of certain fine operations.
  2. Uncertainty Issues: The randomness of fluid computation mechanisms may lead to unpredictable logical responses.
  3. Complex Logic Expansion: Future research could explore complex computations involving multiple logic circuits.
  4. Application Scenario Expansion: Investigating diverse dining environments (e.g., commercial restaurants) and collaborative designs with professional chefs.