Electronic Nose for Smartphones

The 21st century continues to amaze humanity with discoveries in electronics, biology, and physics. This time, Germans should be congratulated for inventing and creating an electronic nose for smartphones. Representatives of a German research center focused on making the device miniature enough to seamlessly integrate into smartphones. The microscopic sensor detects odors and provides the result to the user.

Electronic Nose for Smartphones

Physicist Martin Sommer, under whose supervision the laboratory operates, positions the device as a home security tool. Initially, scientists planned to release a sensor that detects the smell of smoke or gas. But later, it was discovered that the device is capable of more.
Researchers claim that the electronic nose for smartphones can identify hundreds of thousands of odors and provides accurate results. The only drawback for future owners is the inability to determine the freshness of products. But scientists assure that this problem will be solved soon.

Not all objects smell the same in different natural conditions. For example, flowers have distinctly different scents in sunny and rainy weather.

The human body uses millions of olfactory cells and as many neurons to recognize odors, sending signals to the brain. In the microscopic sensor, the role of odor-detecting cells is played by nanofibers. They react to gas mixtures. Each mixture has its own signal associated with a specific smell. The mechanism seems simple, but in practice, teaching an electronic nose for smartphones is challenging — note German scientists.