If You Smell Something, Yell Something: Mass-Produceable "Electronic Nose" To Monitor For Gas Attacks

While relatively rare in the world of terror attacks, deadly gas remains a threat as an insidious, easily-deployed weapon of mass destruction. However, a new sensor can help curtail gas-based attacks and save lifes.

According to factor-tech.com, an "electronic nose" is in development at the Universitat Politècnica de València in Spain, to be used on public transport in an effort to identify deadly gases. Fifteen sensors in the device would alert an attached data acquisition system and computer (via sensitive metal oxide semiconductor sensors) to help discern the nature of a toxic airborne attack, such as sarin gas.

Cristian Olguín, a researcher on the project, explains, “The use of the electronic nose technology aims to create a device that detects these warfare gases in an efficient, quick, simple and cheap way.” The affordability and precision of the device would make it a popular option for monitoring the air in and around trains, planes, and many other hubs of public connection all over the world. The device is also small enough to be portable, which could have valuable applications for both military operators and civilians living in embattled areas.

Methodology of monitoring the volume of unpleasant-smelling commuters is unfortunately still limited to first-person analysis.

Our lives can go on like normal now!  Thanks, electronic nose!