Sensory Analysis

Understanding the Asian export market - measuring consumer engagement and brand / product positioning with Asian consumers

  • Fuentes
    Associate Professor Sigfredo Fuentes

    Director of Research FVAS

    University of Melbourne

  • Professor Frank Dunshea

    Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor & Chair of Agriculture

    Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences

    University of Melbourne

  • GonzalezViejo
    Dr. Claudia Gonzalez Viejo

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow

    Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences

    University of Melbourne

The sensory research team at the University of Melbourne is currently working on novel non-invasive technologies to monitor sensory and biometric responses to different stimuli.

The team is developing an app that uses a combination of biometric data inputs from video and image analysis – e.g. Body temperature, heart rate, and facial emotion recognition – as indicators of subjects’ unconscious behaviour.

This mobile enabled app will have significant applications for market, consumer and sensory research.

Additionally, the team has developed a service for food industry clients who are looking to export to Asia.  Working with new to Australia consumers, the team conducts product assessments that will provide clients with insights on their product/brand positioning for their target market.

There can be significant cultural differences between consumers’ perceptions of product taste and brand packaging. The sensory sessions can be a very cost effective sense check before major investment is made into product exporting.

More information about the development of the sensory app can be found in our poster presented at the 11th Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium and more information on sensory services can be found on our services page.

Please feel free to contact us at food-value-chain@unimelb.com.au if you would like to know more about our sensory analysis capabilities.

image of sensory booth and volunteer
Portable sensory booth with a Samsung Galaxy Tab S; tablet PC with the newly developed App to gather visible and infra-red images and video for post hoc biometric assessment of panellist's responses to food and beverage stimul.
series of images illustrating biometrics
Example of image and video analysis to automatically extract a) face, eyes and pupil dilation; b) heart rate dynamics; c) Infrared thermography and d) micro-facial movements