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[Publication] Space Food Experiences: Designing Passenger's Eating Experiences for Future Space Travel Scenarios

In collaboration with Marianna Obrist, Carlos Velasco, and Lining Yao, we did a research on the needs on eating experience when space travel become a common activity for ordinary people. Based on the research learnings, we designed three design concepts. The paper is published on Frontiers in 2019.

Concept 1, mixing food and condensed seasoning under microgravity enviroment

Concept 1, mixing food and condensed seasoning under microgravity enviroment

Space Food Experiences: Designing Passenger's Eating Experiences for Future Space Travel Scenarios

Abstract

Given the increasing possibilities of short- and long-term space travel to the Moon and Mars, it is essential not only to design nutritious foods but also to make eating an enjoyable experience. To date, though, perhaps unsurprisingly, most research on space food design has emphasized the functional and nutritional aspects of food, and there are no systematic studies that focus on the human experience of eating in space. It is known, however, that food has a multi-dimensional and multi-sensorial role in societies and that sensory, hedonic, and social features of eating and food design should not be underestimated. Here, we present how research in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) can provide a user-centered design approach to co-create innovative ideas around the future of food and eating in space, balancing functional and experiential factors. Based on our research and inspired by advances in human-food interaction design, we have developed three design concepts that integrate and tackle the functional, sensorial, emotional, social, and environmental/atmospheric aspects of “eating experiences in space.” We can particularly capitalize on recent technological advances around digital fabrication, 3D food printing technology, and virtual and augmented reality to enable the design and integration of multisensory eating experiences. We also highlight that in future space travel, the target users will diversify. In relation to such future users, we need to consider not only astronauts (current users, paid to do the job) but also paying customers (non-astronauts) who will be able to book a space holiday to the Moon or Mars. To create the right conditions for space travel and satisfy those users, we need to innovate beyond the initial excitement of designing an “eating like an astronaut” experience. To do so we carried out a three-stage research and design process: (1) first we collected data on users imaginary of eating in space through an online survey (n = 215) to conceptualize eating experiences for short- and long-term space flights (i.e., Moon, Mars); then (2) we iteratively created three design concepts, and finally (3) asked experts in the field for their feedback on our designs. We discuss our results in the context of the wider multisensory experience design and research space.

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Yunwen Tu
IAC 2018 Conference Presentation: Eating in Space
 

The paper Tutu (Yunwen Tu) has worked on with Dr. Marianna Obrist, Dr. Lining Yao, Dr. Carlos Velasco was presented at the 69th International Astronautical Congress 2018 in Bremen, Germany by our first author Dr. Obrist.

IAC2018_Marianna
 
We present, how research in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) can provide a usercentered design approach to co-create the future of food and eating in space, balancing functional and experiential factors in human food-interaction design. Based on our research, we developed three design concepts that meaningfully integrate and tackle four crucial challenges for ’Eating in Space’: to be functional, sensorial, emotional, and social.
— Paper abstract
 
Yunwen Tu
ABC7 News: Want to save the environment? Spoiler alert: you may have to eat less hamburgers
 

Interviewed by Juan Carlos Guerrero, ABC7 News. With Tutu’s project In the Balance, the article and video discuss the carbon emission of a beef burger during the Global Climate Action Summit 2018. We want to pose the question that eating better for the environment does not mean sacrifice.

Check out the article and video: Want to save the environment? Spoiler alert: you may have to eat less hamburgers

 
Leibowitz, who also owns Mission Chinese Food, teamed up with food designer Yunwen Tu (Tutu) to demonstrate the impact of carbon emissions in food.
Tutu created identical cubes that weight differently depending on how many carbon emissions a specific food takes to produce.
— Juan Carlos Guerrero, ABC7
 
Yunwen Tu
SF Chronicle: Woven jerky and homemade meat as the food design of the future
 

Interviewed by Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle. The article covers most of the work Tutu has done since July, 2018.

Please find out the interview here: Woven jerky and homemade meat as the food design of the future

 
Tu, 25, is a food designer based in Daly City. Though she has a day job at a more traditional design consulting firm, Tu develops ideas for “alternative food futures” in anticipation of climate change and explosive population growth. Using design principles normally devoted to making smart phones or computers, she imagines what new forms food might take and then creates interactive educational exhibits about food sustainability that have been shown in museums and conferences in the Bay Area and Europe, including one currently on display at the California Academy of Sciences.
— Tara Duggan, SF Chronicle
 
Yunwen Tu
CGTN America: “Food designer” helps restaurants make climate-friendly choices
 

Interviewed by Mark Niu, CGTN America at The Perennial restaurant. The interview was aired on CGTN America, CCTV9 (in China), Dish TV 279 and Comcast 171 (in the Bay Area). 

Please find out the interview here: “Food designer” helps restaurants make climate-friendly choices

 
Tutu, as she’s known, shows me her In the Balance project, which demonstrates how you need lot of foods — oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, salmon, eggs, and an extra salmon— to surpass the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from cheese.

“How a lot of businesses produce food now is actually based on the customer’s and consumer’s needs,’ said Tu. ‘So if we help people learn about how to choose better food, more sustainable way to eat food, we’ll make a different decision for those businesses.”
— Mark Niu, CGTN America
 
Yunwen Tu
Exhibition: Foodtopia 2030
 

Tutu (Yunwen Tu) had curated a Future Food Design Exhibition FoodTopia 2030 at FoodInno Symposium 2018.

Exhibition Abstract

What will food look like if we change the food production process?

What will the future utensil be if the dining behavior shifted?

Can the perception of food waste be reformed to reflect a better future? 

Eating is one of the most repetitive behaviors yet most of the time we do it without much reflection. This inspiring group of talented designers is exploring the meaningful moments of making, eating and storing food. The exhibition demonstrates the design of foods, utensils, dining manners, social interactions, and the production methods in an alternative future. We want to invite you into those moments and reimagine the future of our dining culture and food society. Why don’t we eat differently? What is a preferable food future to you? 

 

CURATOR: YUNWEN "TUTU" TU

DESIGNERS: BENNER BOSWELL, JI WON YEOM, JOHN WEGNER, PERENNIAL (RESTAURANT), PRAREE KITTIDUMKERNG, RAQUEL KALIL, SHIHAN ZHANG, SIDA LI, WEICHUNG JOONG, YUNWEN "TUTU" TU

PHOTOGRAPHER: PO BUNYAPAMAI

 
Yunwen Tu