Espresso yourself: Wearable tech measures emotional responses to coffee

Researchers in Italy have introduced a novel approach for assessing the quality of coffee. In a pioneering new study, they have demonstrated the feasibility of using wearable technology to measure the emotional responses of coffee experts during tastings.

Published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, the study provides an innovative solution for reducing judgment biases that can result from traditional and more subjective methods of coffee quality assessment.

Coffee is one of the most popular and widely consumed beverages in the world, with a growing number of enthusiasts worldwide. Traditionally, the assessment of coffee properties has relied on trained panelists and standardized questionnaires, leading to potential biases. However, this study marks the first instance in scientific literature where wearable sensors have been employed to examine the implicit emotional responses of experienced coffee judges.

“This research could open a new perspective into sensory analysis of coffee tasting,” noted Lucia Billeci, a researcher at the Institute of Clinical Physiology of the National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR), and corresponding author of the study. “Aside from the usual questionnaires, panelists and judges could be equipped by minimally invasive devices and can be monitored in terms of the emotions triggering physiological responses.”

To monitor physiological responses, the team equipped judges at an international coffee tasting competition in Milan, Italy, with sensors for measuring the electrical activity of the heart, brain and skin.

Check out the full article by the Society of Chemical Industry 

Picture by the Society of Chemical Industry