Electronic Nose

Computers can already boast superhuman sensory abilities in sight and hearing, but smell has been much tougher. Even harder is learning to categorize and differentiate smells, but a new Intel chip that mimics the human brain is well on the way.

​It's important for us to be able to detect odors such as those emitted by spoiled food. However, what if there were a low-cost "electronic nose" that was better at detecting those things, providing us with an earlier warning? That's what's being developed at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

​Scientists have developed what they claim is the “smallest and cheapest” electronic nose for sniffing out people, designed with earthquake and avalanche rescue in mind. The nose detects various substances which would provide the crucial “chemical fingerprint” showing the presence of human life.​

​Typically, colon-related illnesses such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are diagnosed via invasive tests. Thanks to a new "electronic nose," however, it may soon be possible to detect such disorders by analyzing a whiff of the patient's feces.

A team of Belgian scientists has developed what is billed as the most sensitive "electronic nose" yet. The chemical sensor detects pesticides and nerve gases and has a design that could see it integrated with electronics such as your smartphone.

Researchers in the United Kingdom have successfully identified the chemical signature of ripening mangoes. The findings could be extended to other fruit, and might one day revolutionize how everyone from farmers to supermarket workers tell if their fruit is ready.

Current tests for prostate cancer are far from ideal, sometimes resulting in unnecessary biopsies, and even failing to detect some cancers. Now, a team of researchers has turned to a machine it calls the Odoreader, designed to analyze urine samples to provide a non-invasive prostate cancer test.

The latest scientists to start sniffing around breath analysis as a form of medical diagnosis is a team from the University of Adelaide, who are developing a laser instrument inspired by dogs' noses that can screen samples for signs of disease.

In an attempt to establish a less invasive method of detecting prostate cancer and preserve the quality of life for many suffers, Finnish researchers have developed an electronic nose capable of sniffing the patient's urine sample to distinguish between prostate cancer and benign disease.

A team of UCSB researchers have mimicked the anatomy of a dog's nose to build a highly effective scent detector that could be used to sniff out explosives and narcotics.

Research conducted at University of California, Riverside has resulted in an "electronic nose" prototype that can "smell" small amounts of harmful airborne materials.

Following on from research that found dogs could be trained to literally sniff out cancer, researchers have created an electronic nose that can detect ovarian cancer.