First practical electronic tongue knows when it’s sweet

In pursuit of developing an effective electronic tongue to surpass the sensitivity of the human tongue and its oddity for taste, scientists from Illinois have developed a lab-on-a-chip sensor (artificial tongue) that actually works better than the real thing when it comes to identifying sweetness.

electronic tongue

Tested to be 100% percent accurate in its chores, the tongue can distinguish between 14 natural and artificial sweet substances. This sensory "sweet tooth" is possibly the first practical electronic tongue with 16 to 36 tiny printed dye spots, which with chemical reaction change color based on which of course the sweetness is identified.

Scientists have for long been working to develop "electronic tongues" or "electronic noses" to mimic the real human tongue and nose but had never been as successful as in this case. Yet the concerned scientists from the University of Illinois believe:

To be considered a true electronic tongue, the device must detect not just sweet, but sour, salty, bitter, and umami — the five main human tastes," he says. Umami means meaty or savory.

Via: Eurekalert