The technology, called Phebi Detect, aims to process .wav files within two days or less. It can be used to analyse audio including phone interviews, call centre conversations and virtual or live focus groups.

Phebi Detect’s features include the ability to pick out emotion in respondents’ voices and sentiment analysis. Summary information, analysis and transcriptions are available to users on an online dashboard.

The tool is currently available in English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Due to social distancing rules introduced to stop the spread of Covid-19, many face-to-face research studies have temporarily switched to online or phone-based methods.

Mike Page, chief executive at Phebi, said: “With Phebi Detect, researchers can easily identify precise moments where respondents feel anxious, happy or sad, opening up new levels of understanding around their perception of the treatment being studied.”