Fall 2002 -- vol. 20, no. 3 logos home page Contact the logos editor Argonne home page Feature articles Microelectronic nose detects and recognizes gases to save lives Sidebar: Smart Sensor Developer Kit sees things in the air Sweet solution to a salty situation is also environmentally friendly Modeling world turned upside down with new simulation software Argonne Update ANL-W, INEEL to be core of advanced nuclear power research 3 Argonne technologies win R&D 100s Cell communication secrets revealed at SBC ARM research extended down under to Darwin 'I-Wire' is first connection in ultrafast network Faculty and students are on the 'FaST' track

Smart Sensor Developer Kit
sees things in the air

SENSING COW HORMONES – The Smart Sensor has many applications, including livestock breeding.

Argonne's Smart Sensor Developer Kits are available for licensing to companies in many industries. All or some of the kits' elements can be used to develop inexpensive devices for specific applications. Specific applications already being addressed include:

• Termite infestation identification: As more aggressive termite species spread outside their usual habitats, exterminators must identify them to choose the most effective pest-control chemicals. Each termite species has its own airborne signature that the microelectronic nose can detect.
• Pesticide application monitoring: Using a network of smart sensors for wide-area monitoring of property boundaries during pesticide spraying could minimize pesticide use both for crop protection in farmlands and mosquito control in urban areas.
• Leak detection: The Argonne Smart Sensor can be used in inexpensive leak detectors for pipelines, junctions and pump seals to protect product, equipment and personnel.
• Livestock breeding: A bull knows when a cow is ovulating by her scent. Detecting this hormonal signature in cattle and other animals could save time and money for livestock breeders who use artificial insemination. The microelectronic nose could process these complex chemical signatures at a price low enough to make their use cost-effective in large herds.
• Groundwater contaminant monitoring: Current methods to monitor and determine groundwater contaminated with organic compounds such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and vinyl chloride are costly and labor intensive as they involve the manual collection of hundreds of water samples from monitoring wells. Argonne Smart Sensors could reduce costs if they were installed in the air pockets above the well water. The sensor would detect the presence of such contaminants in vapors that collect in these spaces.
• Personal and environmental chemical monitoring: The threat of terrorism has increased the need to monitor airborne chemicals in public areas, office buildings and homes. The microelectronic nose can detect such poisons as cyanogen chloride, hydrogen cyanide, VX, sarin and mustard gases at concentrations below levels hazardous to health. The sensors can also be used for more routine dangers such as protecting firemen responding to unknown chemical fires. Worn on clothing, the sensor can monitor individual exposure to hazardous gas leaks, cleaning solvents, and pesticides and herbicides during application.

For more information, please contact Richard Greb (630/252-5565 or rgreb@anl.gov) at Argonne.