PSN ID
by What’s That Smell? iPhone Chemical-Sniffing App and Device
This is not an apple product.
NASA isn’t just good for bringing you awesome space pictures; they
can now help you figure out, via your iPhone, if that really is gas
you’re smelling. Their chemical-sniffing device
is about the size of a postage stamp and plugs into the iPhone to
collect and transmit data from its sensor. It uses a “sample jet” to
detect chemicals like ammonia, chlorine gas, and methane, even in low
concentration. The device’s multiple-channel silicon-based sensing chip
consists of 64 nanosensors; after analyzing a sample it can send data
via a telephone network or Wi-Fi.
The low-cost, high-speed device
could be a huge boon for law enforcement officials who need to quickly
assess a chemical spill or possible chemical attack. Knowing just what
the chemical is would be a great start, but NASA’s press release doesn’t
say if the device is able to measure concentration with any degree of
precision. The device is, at this point, just a proof-of-concept. But
it’s an amazing use of technology from NASA’s Cell-All program, and we
can’t wait to see what other crazy iPhone apps they’ll come up with.
This is not an apple product.
NASA isn’t just good for bringing you awesome space pictures; they
can now help you figure out, via your iPhone, if that really is gas
you’re smelling. Their chemical-sniffing device
is about the size of a postage stamp and plugs into the iPhone to
collect and transmit data from its sensor. It uses a “sample jet” to
detect chemicals like ammonia, chlorine gas, and methane, even in low
concentration. The device’s multiple-channel silicon-based sensing chip
consists of 64 nanosensors; after analyzing a sample it can send data
via a telephone network or Wi-Fi.
The low-cost, high-speed device
could be a huge boon for law enforcement officials who need to quickly
assess a chemical spill or possible chemical attack. Knowing just what
the chemical is would be a great start, but NASA’s press release doesn’t
say if the device is able to measure concentration with any degree of
precision. The device is, at this point, just a proof-of-concept. But
it’s an amazing use of technology from NASA’s Cell-All program, and we
can’t wait to see what other crazy iPhone apps they’ll come up with.
