Bomb sniffing dogs might be happily in the unemployment line if this new invention takes off.
Otto Gregory, a chemical engineering professor at the University of Rhode Island, has created a device that "sniffs" the air for explosive materials.
The Providence Journal reports that Gregory's device is the first of its kind on the market.
From the report:
His sensor is designed to continuously monitor an area, unlike a quick swab of a hand or of luggage at the airport to screen for particulates from explosives. It doesn't need training or breaks, as bomb-sniffing dogs do.
"Think of it as an electronic dog's nose that would run 24/7," said Gregory, a chemical engineering professor.
Gregory told the Journal that the device can "find one molecule of an explosive in a billion molecules of air."
He added that the prototype would cost between $1,000-$2,000 dollars, with a planned model that would cost hundreds of dollars.