Smell-o-vision has been a pipedream, or joke, in technology for some time, but the smelldect project may finally turn this dream into a reality. Developed by researchers from Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, this new sensor is being touted as an "electronic nose" that is capable of detecting scents faster than a human can. The uses for the smelldect project can be implemented in smartphones but the researchers suggest that the sensor could be used as an ambient air detector, smoke alarm or shopping aid for groceries.
The "nose" itself is just a few centimeters in size, but this small package is filled with nanofibers that react to complex scents. The smelldect project is even capable of identifying certain scents and can be taught patterns to make this analysis faster.
Image Credit: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Smart Smelling Sensors
- Opportunity for disruptive innovation in creating technology with smelling features.
- Electronic Nose
- Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the development of sensors that can detect scents faster than humans.
- Ambient Air Detection
- Opportunity for disruptive innovation in implementing sensors for detecting and analyzing air quality in various environments.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Consumer Electronics
- Opportunity for disruptive innovation in integrating smart smelling sensors into smartphones and other electronic devices.
- Safety and Security
- Opportunity for disruptive innovation in using electronic noses as smoke alarms or air quality detectors for improved safety measures.
- Retail and Grocery
- Opportunity for disruptive innovation in utilizing smart smelling sensors as shopping aids for detecting product freshness and quality in grocery stores.
