The nose of a dog is remarkably sensitive – and odour, it turns out, contains a wealth of information. Now, with the help of artificial intelligence, electronic 'noses' are being trained to sniff out complex odours, including diseases.
In the latest episode of BBC's Tech Life, presenter Chris Vallance visits a company developing the technology, which aims to mimic the canine olfactory system using AI-driven sensors. The programme, produced by Tom Quinn and available on BBC Sounds for over a year, also features Shiona McCallum reporting from Paris on technology that helps understand sleep, and Liv McMahon joining Chris Vallance on a walk in a park to try bird identification apps that are proving popular, especially with younger users.
“BBC Tech Life explores AI-powered electronic noses trained to detect diseases, inspired by dogs' sense of smell.”
If successful, such AI-powered sniffers could transform how diseases are detected, though the technology remains in development.