Creating an artificial tongue that can 'taste and learn'

This artificial tongue that can mimic the way human taste buds work is made from graphene oxide membranes, ultra-thin carbon sheets that act as filters for ion molecules - which play a key role in the transmission of taste signals.

Instead of separating large molecules, these graphene oxide membranes slow down the movement of ions, helping the artificial tongue recognize and remember tastes.

In the new study, the tongue identified the four basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty and bitter with an accuracy of 72.5 to 87.5 percent. Accuracy was as high as 96 percent for drinks with multiple flavors, such as coffee and Coca-Cola, due to the presence of more conductive ions that make them easier to detect.

According to LiveScience on August 11, this is the first time researchers have successfully combined sensors and information processing in the same wet system.

"Our devices can operate in a liquid environment, sensing the surrounding environment and processing information similar to our nervous system," said Professor Yong Yan, co-author of the study and working at the National Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in China.

Previous tasting systems processed all information on external computer systems to avoid damage to components due to immersion in liquid. The new device, on the other hand, does all of its sensing and data processing in the liquid, thanks to a graphene oxide membrane that can detect and process much of the information even when immersed in liquid.

The artificial tongue works by dissolving chemical compounds in liquid and breaking them down into ions. The device “learns” the ions that are characteristic of each flavor of the original chemical and becomes more accurate with continued use.

This technology can help detect diseases early through taste analysis, supporting people who have lost their sense of taste due to neurological disorders or strokes. It also helps improve food safety inspection, control the quality of beverage products and monitor the environment of water sources...