The infinity pleasure pod is based on the results of the academic paper published by professor John Edward. The finding of the research was : The environment in which you eat has a considerable impact on your perception of taste. His team at Bournemouth University discovered that the same dish, chicken à la king, tasted different depending on where it was consumed. The dish was tasted in ten different locations, including a school, a care home, an Army base and a swanky restaurant. The more salubrious the surroundings, the higher the score: in the posh joints, it was rated as moist, tasty and filling, while in one of the dives, it was perceived to be claggy, dry and disgusting.
Bompas and Parr curated the infinity pod: The Infinity Pod tracks reactions such as pulse, heartbeat, skin elasticity, skin tension, swallow reaction and basic facial expressions and turns them into code, which is analysed and used to generate a digital artwork that is projected onto the interior of the pod in a shifting kaleidoscope of form and colour. It is the opposite of the research, because in this case, the environment reacts on the food. You can find the infinity pod in the Magnum concept store.
Of course this pod is just an attraction for shoppers and it will give Magnum some attention. But the information of this academic paper is very useful for the food industry. Saying you could let customers “feel” like they are getting higher quality food than they actually do. Who knows what further research shows. Maybe it is possible in the future to guide the brain of your customer just by clever decorating
