Skip to main content

Airbus working on smell sensors that could detect coronavirus on planes

Airbus and California-based startup Koniku are working on smell sensors that can detect dangerous chemicals and explosives — and also biological hazards such as the new coronavirus.

The purple, jellyfish-like sensors are powered by silicon processors that are augmented with living cells.

Recommended Videos

The technology is “breathing the air, and it’s essentially telling you what’s in the air,” Oshiorenoya Agabi, the founder of Koniku, told the Financial Times.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The genetically engineered receptors will sound an alarm when they detect a threat that they have been programmed to sniff out. While the sensors were originally focused to work on hazardous chemicals and explosives, they are now being adapted to also cover contagious diseases, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The technology has a very quick response time of under 10 seconds in best conditions,” said Julien Touzeau, head of product security for the Americas at Airbus. “With this level of maturity it’s an incredible result and hopefully it will improve over time.”

Testing for the sensors is planned for the fourth quarter, three years after Airbus and Koniku started their collaboration in 2017.

The sensors will be placed in certain airport screening tunnels, but the primary goal is to get them into passenger aircraft as a “last line of defense” against potential security threats, according to Touzeau.

Agabi, meanwhile, envisions applications for the technology beyond aviation, as it could be used in the agriculture and defense sectors, the Financial Times reported. He is also looking to create a product “for every home” that will function like a breathalyzer, which will collect data from people that Koniku can analyze for early detection of diseases such as cancer.

Aaron Mamiit
Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…
Bill Gates: ‘I wish I had done more’ to warn about coronavirus
Bill Gates

Bill Gates has been warning government leaders about a global pandemic for years, but the coronavirus still caught nations off guard -- and the philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder said that’s one of his biggest regrets.

“I wish I had done more to call attention to the danger,” Gates told the Wall Street Journal. “I feel terrible. The whole point of talking about it was that we could take action and minimize the damage.”

Read more
Coronavirus antibody tests aren’t created equal. Here’s what you need to know
Researcher in Lab with Blood Sample Test

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently decided to tighten the regulations on coronavirus antibody tests. These tests are supposed to help people know whether they were previously infected with the virus, but the FDA admitted that many of them aren’t accurate enough to be useful.

Whether you’ve already been administered an antibody test or hope to get one in the future, here’s what you need to know about whether to trust the results.
What are antibodies?
When your body is exposed to an antigen -- or outside substance including viruses, bacteria, and certain chemicals -- it causes the immune system to attack it. As part of the response, white blood cells create a certain kind of protein called antibodies. These proteins can only bind to that specific type of antigen, and they can help the body more quickly respond to the virus or bacteria, making you less likely to get sick from the exact same strain twice.

Read more
How to track your coronavirus stimulus check using the IRS web app
Man counting cash

The Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) coronavirus stimulus check web portal is now live for all taxpayers who want to check on the status of their coronavirus stimulus check.

For those who have filed their 2018 or 2019 taxes, you can use the website to look up the status of your stimulus check, change or update your payment type, or enter your direct deposit information. 

Read more