Emerging Technology

A new emerging technology is the electronic nose. NASA is working on this because the spaceships have large amounts of ammonia in it to keep the spaceship livable. However, ammonia is a poisonous gas and if it leaked into the living quarters the astronauts need to be notified as soon as possible. The electronic nose would be able to recognize almost any compound or combination of compounds. Its much more sensitive than a human nose and can be even trained to tell the difference between coke and pepsi by just smell. It works by films in the nose that once a smell goes through them it senses it and the films expand. 


http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/06oct_enose/