Advances In Electronic Nose [Digital Scent Technology], Getting Better By The Day

No doubt, the world of Science and Technology is being heralded by insane and astronomical advancements. Some of these advancements are in the area of discovering new techs, while some are enhancing of previous techs. That brings us to the world of Digital Scent Technology.

[Image Source]

This tech, though not really seen as an emerging tech, but some mind-blowing advancement has been made on this.

Our world is no longer a world of "tech as usual", but "tech unusual" - @samminator

This technology is a resultant effect of the growing evolution in the field of Bio-mechanical Engineering (with an emphasis on olfactory technology). This tech, in summary, has to do with the creation, perception, transmission, and representation of scents digitally.

Hardware requirements

• Digital/Electronic Nose: This is the main hardware for this. This actually does the perception of the scent. It also measures the odour dilution.  [Image Source]
• Olfactometer: The main work of this is to determine the olfactory threshold of the scent.  [Image Source]
• Baseline Gas: This measures the intensity of the odour and apparently does the main transmission of the scent digitally. (This is where the emerging tech comes in; scientists are working to find a less volatile and more viable baseline gas).

Mechanics of operation

First of all, I'd love to state that this tech is designed to mimic the biological olfactory system of humans; even better. Because it can detect and distinguish, with high precision index, some scents that are way beyond human perception. Fascinating right?

Some techs are incorporated into the digital nose to increase its viability. I'd just run them down.

• Surface Acoustic Wave Device (SAWD)
• Metal Oxide Semiconductor Device (for amplifying of digital scent in form of electrical impulses)
• Quartz-Crystal Microbalance (for balancing out the changes in frequency as the scent is being transmitted)

Future applications of this tech

The applications of this tech are almost limitless, but I'd love to draw out a few of them:

• Perception of Bio weapons, and Chemical weapons.
• Perception of some forms of cancer.
• Could chart a new course in the area of nasal prosthesis.
• Could be used to detect viral and bacterial infection.

A friend of mine once asked me if this tech can be used to detect HIV/AIDS.

Well, in the world of tech, impossibilities do not exist.

Potentially side-lined tech

This tech, when fully advanced, could potentially sideline the need for MRI and X-Ray. Let's just wait and see how tech evolves.

Tech Rules!!

Thanks For Reading

References for further reading: Ref1, Ref2, Ref3