SensNews Nov 2017

13 Sensor100 November 2017 Artificial intelligence to taste test Carlsberg’s new beers A new research project launched by the brewery in partnership with Aarhus Univer- sity’s Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) aims to develop the sensors, which would be able to detect subtle taste nuances in the beverage. A prototype sensor can already taste the difference between four types of beer. “It sounds like science fiction, but artificial intelligence can actually taste beer.We are collecting data on how beer tastes with chemical sensors. Based on that data, we can see whether a type of yeast has the po- tential to produce a beer that tastes good,” said Peter Kyvsgaard, a solutions specialist with Microsoft. The artificial intelligence is not designed to replace human taste buds, but rather to as- sist in the analysis of yeast types, Carlsberg Laboratory director and professor Jochen Förster said. “There is no such thing as a fast and effective method for judging taste differences in beverages, but it’s crucial that we are able to do this if the laboratory is to continue developing beer to its maximum potential,” he continued. “The sensors developed by the project are not limited to tasting beer,” Kyvsgaard said. “They can be broadly applied to find taste profiles,” File photo: Carsten Snejbjerg/Polfoto/Ritzau