Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings

Can a dog’s sense of smell be duplicated?

By RFrank | December 9, 2021

Share

Dogs’ sensitive noses and their ability to be trained to detect a variety of medical issues/diseases is well known. Using their sense of smell, trained dogs can detect lung, breast, ovarian, bladder and prostate cancers. For prostate cancer, dogs had a 99 percent success rate in detecting the disease in patients simply by sniffing urine samples. In fact, many different types of cancer have been detected earlier by dogs than any other technology.

For more than 15 years, researchers have been pursuing a way to emulate this capability with manufacturable technology. In fact, a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed and continues to improve on a patented detector system that incorporates mammalian olfactory receptors stabilized to act as sensors. The sensor system can detect the chemical and microbial content of an air sample with even greater sensitivity than a dog’s nose. The problem is connecting the dots. Different cancer samples that a dog can detect have nothing in common. Yet a trained dog can generalize from one type of cancer and identify others.

To address the problem, the researchers added a machine-learning process with an artificial neural network (ANN) to identify the distinctive characteristics of the disease-bearing samples sensed by their electronic nose. Using powerful analytical tools including gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) and microbial profiling, the artificial system was able to match the success rates of the dogs, with both methods scoring more than 70 percent accurate detection. Confirmed through DARPA-mandated control tests, the miniaturized detection system is 200 times more sensitive than a dog’s nose in its ability to detect and identify tiny traces of different molecules.

Since the data streams can be handled in real-time by a typical smartphone, researchers envision an automated odor-detection system small enough to be incorporated into future smartphones.


Filed Under: Sensor Tips
Tagged With: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 

Related Articles Read More >

Compact direct drive actuator boasts 1.25μm resolution
TMR magnetic sensors optimized for current, position sensing
Tiny dual-port pressure sensor simplifies design of PAP devices
AI/ML-based sensor fusion technology platform targets home-security alarm system

DESIGN GUIDE LIBRARY

“motion

Enews Sign Up

Motion Control Classroom

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Pushing performance: Adding functionality to terminal blocks
  • Get to Know Würth Industrial Division
  • Renishaw next-generation FORTiS™ enclosed linear encoders offer enhanced metrology and reliability for machine tools
  • WAGO’s smartDESIGNER Online Provides Seamless Progression for Projects
  • Epoxy Certified for UL 1203 Standard
  • The Importance of Industrial Cable Resistance to Chemicals and Oils

Design World Podcasts

June 12, 2022
How to avoid over engineering a part
See More >
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • Advertising
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Engineering White Papers
  • LEAP AWARDS

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
    • Fluid power
  • Learn
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
    • Engineering Week
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • MC² Motion Control Classrooms
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • LEAP AWARDS
  • Leadership
    • 2022 Voting
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guide Library
  • Resources
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Women in Engineering
  • Supplier Listings