Boffins create mega robotic nostril that may detect killer illnesses from sufferers’ breath
Eggheads at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology say the ‘Ant-nose’ is a cut above dog and human conks with 97% accuracy and can help sniff out diseases like cancer
A mega robot nose devloped by boffs can sniff out killer diseases, detect damaged fruit and identify dangerous gases.
Eggheads at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology say the ‘Ant-nose’ is a cut above dog and human conks with 97% accuracy. And best of all it uses simple and cheap antenna technology already in our phones and TVs.
Prof Michael Cheffena said: “We are literally surrounded by technology that communicates using antennae.”
Existing electronic hooters are based on how mammals smell and require hundreds of expensive sensors coated in different materials.
But the new Ant-nose transmits radio signals to pick up distinct ‘volatile organic compounds’, known as VOCs, including ones in patients’ breath that indicate disease.
Researcher Yu Dang believes the new bot schnozz will be a gamechanger in detecting early signs of illness and could save tens of thousands of lives.
Dogs can sniff out illnesses but the highly-trained mutts are very expensive, unlike antenna robotics.
Mr Dang said: “Volatile organic compounds enable trained dogs to detect health-threatening changes in blood sugar and diseases like cancer, so the principle is largely the same.”
The tech is widely available already meaning it should be available in hospitals relatively quickly, according to Professor Cheffena.
He said: “Other electronic noses can have several hundred sensors, often each coated with different materials.
“This makes them both very power-intensive to operate and expensive to manufacture.
“They also entail high material consumption.
“In contrast, the antenna sensor consists of only one antenna.”
The findings are published in the journal Sensors and Actuators: B. Chemical.
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