This is about not your Grandma's electronic nose, but other versions that have been showing up:
Researchers develop biomimetic olfactory chips to enable advanced gas sensing and odor detection
Mar 2024, phys.org
Most electronic noses work electrochemically, but this one is biomimetic, so that's new.
"In the future, with the development of suitable bio-compatible materials, we hope that the biomimetic olfactory chip can also be placed on the human body to allow us to smell an odor that normally cannot be smelled. It can also monitor the abnormalities in volatile organic molecules in our breath and emitted by our skin, to warn us on potential diseases, reaching further potential of biomimetic engineering," said Prof. Fan.
via Hong Kong University of Science and Technology: Chen Wang et al, Biomimetic olfactory chips based on large-scale monolithically integrated nanotube sensor arrays, Nature Electronics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-023-01107-7
Image credit: AI Art - CPAP Straps Side View Orthogonal Exposed - 2025
Combining human olfactory receptors with artificial organic synapses and a neural network to sniff out cancer
May 2024, phys.org
The device has three parts. a nanodisk containing modified human olfactory receptors grown using E. coli bacteria, a device that simulates neural synapses, and an artificial neural network trained on four specific fatty acids that are known to be present in breath samples of people with certain types of gastric cancers.The research team plans to continue their work by adding more receptors.
(Only 400 receptors to go!)
via Seoul National University: Hyun Woo Song et al, A pattern recognition artificial olfactory system based on human olfactory receptors and organic synaptic devices, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl2882
Artificial 'nose' can sniff out damaged fruit and spoiled meat
Oct 2024, phys.org
Ah yes - The Antenna Nose:
"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 with one type of coating."The antenna transmits radio signals at a range of different frequencies into the surroundings. It then analyzes how they are reflected back. The way the signals behave changes based on the gases present, and because the antenna transmits signals at multiple frequencies, the changes create unique patterns that can be linked to specific volatile organic compounds - even isomer compounds that "look" very similar to even the most sophisticated E-noses.
via Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering at Norwegian University of Science and Technology: Yu Dang et al, Facile E-nose based on single antenna and graphene oxide for sensing volatile organic compound gases with ultrahigh selectivity and accuracy, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2024.136409
Tiny electronic nose rivals animal scent detection
Nov 2024, phys.org
They measure the timing and frequency of odor bursts in highly chaotic air movements of odor plumes to guess the size and spread of the odor plume.We found it could accurately identify odors in bursts as short as 50 milliseconds. Even more, it could decode patterns between odors switching up to 40 times per second, which is similar to what mice can do when they perform source-separation tasks. This means our device can "smell" at speeds that match those of animals.They used metal-oxide gas sensors as well as temperature and humidity sensors, improved with high-end electronics and custom-designed algorithms that can sample and control these sensors fast and precisely."We also discovered that rapidly switching the temperature of the sensors back and forth between 150°C and 400°C about 20 times per second produced quick, distinctive data patterns that made it easier to identify specific smells. This approach allowed our device to pick up odors with remarkable speed and accuracy."
via Biocomputation Group, University of Hertfordshire and International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems at Western Sydney University: Nik Dennler et al, High-speed odor sensing using miniaturized electronic nose, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp1764
Nanopore-based 'artificial tongue' can determine chemical makeup of alcoholic drinks
Dec 2024, phys.org
"A single-molecule sensor for rapid analysis of alcoholic beverages" uses a mycobacterium modified with a pore just a few nanometers in diameter.
via Nanjing University: Pingping Fan et al, Nanopore signatures of major alcoholic beverages, Matter (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2024.11.025
