Impact of computers on sensory evaluation: past, present and future

Developments in hardware and software in the last decade have dramatically changed the role of computers in sensory analysis. Besides data-entry and data-analysis, personal computers are used more and more for data-collection, experimental design and panel-management. Tests are prepared on the personal computer, the questions are displayed on screens in the tasting booths, the subjects can enter their responses directly and the results can be available instantaneously. In the last five years, several systems for automated sensory analysis have been developed. In the coming years, computers will become more powerful, cheaper, faster, and will have more memory. Although it is not clear at this moment which operating system will become the standard for the next decade, the software will certainly be more user-friendly. Graphical-user-interfaces will change the way we interact with the computer. New approaches to software development, like object-oriented programming, artifical intelligence and relational database management systems will make it possible to use the computer for more aspects of sensory evaluation. It is important to identify the different tasks in the laboratory that can be automated and to look for the right tools to use. In view of the developments in the last decade, it is not advisable to wait for the ultimate solution.