Researchers at Arhaus University in Denmark have developed an artificial tongue in a robot, which can distinguish the taste and quality of wine much more effectively than humans.

The technology has been developed by using a nanosensor dubbed 'mini-mouth'. It has been developed by a PhD student Joana Guerreiro and her fellow researchers at the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre (iNANO), Aarhus University, Denmark.

The sensor dubbed 'mini-mouth' mimics the reaction that wine creates on a person's tongue and then determines the taste of alcohol.

Vineyard owners use a series of highly-controlled processes, which bring out a desired flavor of wine. In wine terminology the taste is called astringency.

It is characterized by the dry sensation drinkers get in their mouth, especially when they drink red wine. This sensation arises due to the interaction between small organic molecules in the wine and proteins in a person's mouth. The tannins in the wine bring out this sensation.

The nanosensor is capable of measuring the effect of astringency in mouth and the sensation of dryness when people drink wine. It uses salivary proteins to measure molecules and then determines the astringency by judging how tannins hit the flavor sensors in a person.

The university researchers said, "Indeed, it is the first time a sensor has been produced that not only measures the amount of proteins and molecules in your mouth when you drink wine, but also measures the effect of wine - or other substances - entering your mouth".

Additionally, the sensor can also be used as a tool which will be useful in wine production. Since the level of astringency can be measured at the start of the wine process; the sensor can prove effective in helping the wine producers to control the development of astringency during production.