Volume 106: Dietary Education App "Deliciously Illustrated SketchCook"

Otsuka Podcast

See the full story with pictures at:

https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/company/global-topics/2018/20180519_vol106.html

Otsuka Pharmaceutical launched “Deliciously Illustrated SketchCook - A Nutritious Experiment with Google” dietary education app, which emphasizes the importance of nutritionally balanced meals.

SketchCook uses the latest AI technology to transform illustrations of meals drawn by children into digital images, and then suggests nutritionally balanced recipes and, based on guidance from certified nutritionists, food combinations that then provide a well-balanced meal.

Otsuka has long been actively involved in dietary education, conducting a study in 2011 on the relationship between breakfast quality and brain function. This demonstrated that optimal brain activity requires not simply an adequate intake of sugar, but also nutritionally balanced meals. Since then, Otsuka has been conveying to students who want to study more efficiently the importance of breakfast and nutritionally balanced meals.

Focusing on the next generation of young children on whose shoulders Japan’s future will one day rest, Otsuka developed the idea for an educational app that teaches children about meals and nutrition, while creating opportunities for communication between parents and children. This idea was then realized thanks to Google's machine learning technology and recipe data provided by Rakuten Recipe.It allows children to have fun learning about meals and nutrition through drawing pictures.

Otsuka received some very positive feedback from users who participated in the SketchCook launch event held in May, including, “My child immediately started helping me with the cooking!” and “We went shopping and made dinner together.”

In the future, Otsuka’s hope is to take SketchCook beyond the home and, in cooperation with local authorities across Japan, spread the word to the next generation of children about the importance of meals and nutrition.

SketchCook can be downloaded from the links below. (Japanese only):

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/id1382197965?mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.otsuka.SketchCook&hl=ja