Enhancing Space Travel: Lean Science and Multisensory Food Experiences
As space travel transitions from exploration missions to potential commercial journeys to the Moon and Mars, the experience of passengers becomes as important as survival itself. The paper "Space Food Experiences: Designing Passenger's Eating Experiences for Future Space Travel Scenarios" explores how sensory, emotional, and social dimensions significantly impact food experiences.
Key Messages
The paper identifies five crucial factors in designing superior space eating experiences:
Functional: Ensuring ease of consumption, balanced nutrition, and practicality.
Sensorial: Addressing reduced taste sensitivity in space, emphasizing textures, flavors, and freshness.
Emotional: Using food to comfort passengers and connect them to home, enhancing psychological well-being.
Social: Facilitating communal experiences and interactions through food.
Environmental: Using immersive virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to recreate familiar Earth atmospheres.
The Breakthrough - Three innovative concepts emerge:
Spice Bomb Mixing: Socially interactive spice capsules enhancing flavor perception, addressing functional and sensory challenges.
Flavor Journey 3D Printer: Customized meals created through digital fabrication, enabling remote culinary interactions with Earth-based chefs or family.
Earth Memory Bites: Small, multisensory snack experiences that reconnect passengers with familiar tastes and memories of Earth through VR and AR environments.
Lean Science Perspective
These concepts embody Lean Science by simplifying processes, enhancing emotional and sensory experiences, and optimizing resources effectively. They utilize innovative yet practical technology, such as 3D food printing and immersive VR environments, to ensure enriching experiences despite limited space and resources.
Implications and Applications
These innovations have broader implications beyond space:
Personalized nutrition for people with sensory or dietary limitations.
Efficient resource management in constrained environments like submarines, Antarctic missions, or remote areas.
Enhanced food experiences using technology to augment sensory and emotional enjoyment.
Lean Science is our company's scientific approach emphasizing maximum value with minimum complexity and waste. Rooted in frameworks such as Science 2.0, Research 2.0, and Coordination 2.0, Lean Science promotes transparency, inclusivity, and effective collaboration among diverse stakeholders. This methodology leverages digital tools such as blogging, social networks, and open platforms to democratize scientific discourse, optimize resource use, and foster innovation efficiently. By prioritizing simplicity and iterative improvement, Lean Science ensures maximum value with minimum complexity, enhancing sustainability and impact. Lean Science also underpins our company's activities at Only Plants, aligning with our core vision: "Science at the Service of Humanity." Through innovative, resource-efficient methods, we produce nutrient-rich microgreens and plant-based products, optimizing the value chain from cultivation to consumption. By adopting these Lean Science principles, we continuously innovate to ensure sustainable and impactful outcomes in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments.
Implications and Applications
These innovations have broader implications beyond space:
Personalized nutrition for people with sensory or dietary limitations.
Efficient resource management in constrained environments like submarines, Antarctic missions, or remote areas.
Enhanced food experiences using technology to augment sensory and emotional enjoyment.
References and Credibility
Obrist, M., Tu, Y., Yao, L., & Velasco, C. (2019). Space Food Experiences: Designing Passenger’s Eating Experiences for Future Space Travel Scenarios. Frontiers in Computer Science, 1, Article 3. doi:10.3389/fcomp.2019.00003.
