An artificial “tongue” that tastes subtle differences in whiskey could help cut down on the trade of counterfeit alcohol.
Built by Scottish engineers (who else?), the tiny taster exploits the optical properties of gold and aluminum to test tipples.
Sub-microscopic slices of metal, arranged in a checkerboard pattern, act as “taste buds”—about 500 times smaller than their human counterparts—in the University of Glasgow’s artificial organ.
Researchers poured samples of single malt Scotch whiskey from Glenfiddich, Glen Marnoch, and Laphroaig over the device, measuring how the elements absorb light when submerged.
The process, which scientists call their plasmonic resonance, allowed the team to identify different types of spirits.
Boasting nearly 100 percent accuracy, the tongue was capable of discerning fine distinctions between distilled drinks, identifying the same whiskey aged for 12, 15, and 18 years.
“We call this an artificial tongue because it acts similarly to a human tongue,” lead study author Alasdair Clark, from the University of Glasgow’s School of Engineering, explained.
“Like us, it can’t identify the individual chemicals which make coffee taste different to apple juice, but it can easily tell the difference between these complex chemical mixtures,” he said in a statement.
The Glaswegians are not the first to make an artificial tongue.
But they are, according to Clark, the first to make a single artificial tongue that uses two different types of nanoscale metal taste buds, “which provides more information about the ‘taste’ of each sample and allows a faster and more accurate response.”
“While we’ve focused on whiskey in this experiment, the artificial tongue could easily be used to ‘taste’ virtually any liquid, which means it could be used for a wide variety of applications,” he continued.
Most obviously: identifying counterfeit alcohol.
Following the recent deaths of several American tourists in the Dominican Republic, folks have pointed the finger at spurious booze; some experts agree that the symptoms and circumstances fit the indicators of deaths caused by doctored drinks.
Americans are largely sheltered from adulterated alcohol, thanks to the country’s rigorous regulations. But “illegal” spirits—from moonshine to bogus hooch made cheaply and quickly using toxic shortcuts—are a growing health concern in other parts of the world.
The not-yet-commercialized device could also be used in food safety testing, quality control, and security.
“Really any area where a portable, reusable method of tasting would be useful,” Clark added.
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