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Ask HN: Why can't my phone smell?

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Ask HN: Why can't my phone smell?

Post by hoompadoompa » Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 4:50 PM UTC

Naive question,

why can't my phone smell?

Elaborating further, the phone has many sensors of: location, altitude, pressure, visual input/output, audio input/output, etc.

Where is the nose?

If the phone could smell, wouldn't that collect much deeper, more personal (meta)data about persons?

Are there any upcoming 'Internet of Things' which has a nose?

Or, it's just lower priorities compared to other data?

Thanks.

Re: Ask HN: Why can't my phone smell?

Post by jeffmould » Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 5:02 PM UTC

In a roundabout way it can. There are adapters for a breathalyzer, carbon monoxide, and I believe there is one that will detect toxic chemicals in the air. I am by no means a scientist, but I think when it comes to "smell" in terms of sensors, it is a lot harder to do. Each "smell" detection would require a specific sensor, thus increasing the overall size, and cost, of the device if they were to all be packed in. It is easier to market/sell the sensors as adapters that can be connected to the phone.

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