It hasn’t been long since engineers enabled machines to see and make decisions based on their observations. Now, they can smell too. A Grenoble-based startup is making use of artificial intelligence combined with digital olfaction to mimic the human sense of smell and help customers convert odor data into actionable information.
Digital Olfaction – How it Works
The human nose uses the odor molecules released by inorganic and organic objects to enable the sense of smell. The odor evaporates when the energy in objects increases, helping inhale and absorb them through the nasal cavity.
Digital olfaction works in a similar fashion. First, it captures odor signatures using biosensors and then uses software solutions to analyze the given odor data and display the results. Artificial intelligence helps interpret the signatures and classify them based on a database of previously collected smells.
In a recent interview, the company CEO said that in terms of performance and its ability to recognize different smells, digital olfaction is close to the way human noses work.
Practical Uses of Digital Olfaction
Odor analytics can help companies:
- Engineer the ideal “new car” smell for the automotive industry
- Catch food spoilage in consumer appliances
- Approve or reject raw material supply
- Lower R&D time for new beverages and foods
- Create health sensors and personal care devices that use odors to detect possible issues and alert users
One possible use of this technology is to assist in developing devices that help COVID-19 patients recover their sense of smell.
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