Mobile phones may soon be able to monitor the air quality and warn its owner of the presence of toxic substances in it. Specialists from the University of Tartu in Estonia are working on this technology.

A special sensor of toxic substances in the air was recently presented by developers to exhibitions in Barcelona, where many manufacturers of smartphones became interested in their ideas. “The interest in our development was quite high,” Raivo Jaaniso, senior researcher at the Institute of Physics at Tallinn University, told ETV +. “Everyone asked if the products are ready, can we use it already? But we are halfway through our research. Of course, we are far away advanced from the beginning of the first tests, but the sensor has not yet been fully developed. "

Several scientists of the Institute of Physics have been working on a graphene-based device for five years. It is assumed that the device will automatically analyze the air quality and, if it is bad, warn the owner.

“Today’s prototype allows us to go outside and take measurements there,” said Artyom Berholts of the Institute of Physics, TU. “Before, we could only take measurements in a laboratory. But to place our development inside the phone, it needs to be more compact and sensitive to a larger spectrum of gases. The main idea of the sensor is that it works like a human nose and recognizes various substances in the environment. "

Scientists hope that the mobile sensor will be ready in two years, but do not rule out that it may take longer to create. But when the work is completed, it will be possible to use the new technology anywhere in the world, the inventors are convinced.

tass.ru