Thanks to the MESA+ Safety & Security Grant, Sissi de Beer, associate professor within the Department of Molecules and Materials, was able to accelerate her research. Her goal is to develop an electronic nose that can not only detect odours but also locate their source.
Smell is one of the most complex senses to replicate technologically. While sensors for light, sound and motion are already highly advanced, odour detection remains far more challenging. At the same time, its societal relevance is significant. Smell detection could support the identification of explosives and drugs, help locate victims after disasters such as earthquakes, and assess food freshness in everyday settings.
An electronic nose inspired by nature
Current generations of electronic noses can already recognise odours, but these systems are often large, energy-intensive and difficult to deploy in mobile applications. Sissi is therefore working on an alternative: a compact, reusable and energy-efficient sensor that more closely resembles biological olfaction.
Her design takes inspiration from nature. In the human olfactory system, odour molecules bind to combinations of receptors, creating complex scent patterns that are recognised by the brain. Sissi translates this principle into a technological system featuring a thin layer of polymer brushes on for example an optical sensor. These brushes temporarily capture odour molecules, generating a distinctive scent pattern that can be analysed.
By combining several sensors coated with different polymer brushes, the system can distinguish between various odour profiles. With support from MESA+, the research was expanded further, including the appointment of a postdoctoral researcher who developed an algorithm to recognise differences in odour concentration.
Finding the source
The combination of sensors and algorithms enables an important next step: the system can not only detect an odour but also determine the direction of its source. The highest concentration indicates where the source is located.
This principle has already been applied in a drone-based set-up that can autonomously follow a scent trail. Like a tracker following a trail, the drone moves towards the strongest concentration, much as a person might follow the smell of freshly baked bread to a bakery.
Technology is also attracting interest beyond the university. The Dutch Police Academy, for example, sees potential applications in forensic investigations and crime scene analysis.
From laboratory to real-world applications
Support from MESA+ has also enabled students to contribute to the project’s development. They are working on drone integration and conducting experiments with new materials and sensor configurations. One Applied Physics student is currently exploring a variation in which the sensor is mounted on an autonomous vehicle, making mobile odour detection possible on the ground as well.
Sissi is already looking ahead to the next stage: submitting a proposal to the Dutch Research Council (NWO) to scale up the research and bring the technology closer to practical applications.
Towards practical impact
These developments bring a compact electronic nose one step closer to reality. Such a device would not only measure what is present in the air but also determine where an odour originates. This could create new opportunities in safety, healthcare, forensic science and food quality monitoring.
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