The Electronic Nose

Some of you might have seen the movie Richie Rich.  In the movie, the main character has everything... including a device that is able to "smell", to detect odors.  In the movie, the device seems like a science fiction - James Bond-like - tool.    Today, however,  these devices are not science fiction, in fact they are used in environmental monitoring, food quality control, medical diagnosis among a number of other applications.  So how did we make an electronic nose at DC. Everest?   

As was the case for many years, students in the first year honor's chemistry class had to decide on a project to complete that related to chemistry.  The project was their choice.  This group, a group of four young ladies really didn't have an idea of what to do.  I had pointed out an interesting article (Nose News is Good News)that I had read out of the October 1996 TIES magazine when one of the students shared that they had read a similar article in the September 1996 Discover Magazine.  It seemed like an interesting idea, but a project that would really test us.  That was certainly the case.

The four ladies and their new associate, a young man, embarked on the project contacting numerous people for technical assistance, and materials.  We were very fortunate to enlist the help of a then graduate student with the CalTech program, who helped us out tremendously.  We received numerous corporate help, donating the polymers and other supplies, and lending us a very sensitive ohmmeter for us to use over an extended period of time.  (The ohmmeter, prior to being sent to D.C. Everest, was used actually in Hollywood for a movie production set.)  Numerous problems were overcome until finally we had achieved data that was comparable to experts like those at CalTech.  To see a brief explanation of the electronic nose and a few examples of data, please the basic design page.  

The students really did a terrific job.  In fact, they were invited and attended the 1997 Chemical Education Conference at the University of Minnesota on August 4-6 and displayed their electronic nose project.  It was there that a altruistic businessman donated to D.C. Everest money to be used for future projects of this nature.