A team of UCSB researchers have mimicked the anatomy of a dog's
nose to build a highly effective scent detector that could be
used to sniff out explosives and narcotics (Image: Peter
Allen/UCSB) , researchers at UC Santa Barbara have created a
high-performance detector that draws inspiration from the
anatomy of a dog's nose to accurately identify substances –
including explosives and narcotics – from very small
concentrations of airborne molecules. Able to detect smells ten
thousand times as faint as humans can, a dog's nose is an
invaluable asset to police forces around the globe. So, when
UCSB researchers set out to build an effective electronic nose
that could assist homeland security, they already knew where
they could find the perfect design. By modeling the way in which
a dog's nose efficiently absorbs and then concentrates airborne
molecules, the researchers were able to produce a device with
remarkable performance, capable of capturing and identifying
molecules in concentrations as low as one part per