http://inventorspot.com/articles/electri...our-tongue
EXCERPT: [...] The prototype fork was inspired by earlier research into an "electric test for taste" – it seems that salty or sour tastes are experienced when electricity is applied to the human tongue. Yeesh, can you imagine being one of the test subjects? Nakamura and his research team realized that people restricted to low-salt or salt-free diets likely miss salty flavorings and would appreciate a way to enjoy them without the ill-effects. To test the fork in real-world situations, the researchers set up a "No Salt Restaurant" as a testbed....
EXCERPT: [...] The prototype fork was inspired by earlier research into an "electric test for taste" – it seems that salty or sour tastes are experienced when electricity is applied to the human tongue. Yeesh, can you imagine being one of the test subjects? Nakamura and his research team realized that people restricted to low-salt or salt-free diets likely miss salty flavorings and would appreciate a way to enjoy them without the ill-effects. To test the fork in real-world situations, the researchers set up a "No Salt Restaurant" as a testbed....