Sensors Developed To Detect the Smell Of Human Fear

By Clay Dillow Posted 11.03.2009 at 2:00 pm 13 Comments

Fear Detector Two sensors being developed by British researchers would enable security personnel at airports, border checkpoints and large public events to detect the smell of fear on possible criminals or terrorists.

Security agencies have long used the canine nose to sniff out contraband like explosives, drugs, human traffic and the like by picking up the scent of criminals’ illegal cargo. Now British scientists are developing two sensor systems that sniff out the criminals themselves by zeroing in on a specific pheromone emitted when humans are in stressful, fearful situations.

The two devices detect the same pheromone in human sweat via different mechanisms: one by laser absorption, the other by a portable optical fiber device. A feasibility study is pending, but once complete the devices could be developed in time to help police identify dodgy behavior, and potential threats, at the 2012 Olympics in London.

The British research piggybacks on findings by American scientists last year who collected the underarm sweat of 20 first-time skydivers just before the jump. The researchers found that when other subjects were asked to smell the samples while undergoing brain scans, the parts of the brain associated with fear responded to the smell of the fear pheromone.

The challenge before British researchers is pinpointing the exact chemical makeup for human fear. They must also figure out how to deal with interference from other odors, deodorants and perfumes. But prototypes could be available for testing at border crossings and large public events within a couple of years.

[PhysOrg]

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13 Comments

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clanck46

11/03/09 at 2:27 pm

thats almost creepy, but britian is a security nut country so...

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Loschen

from Wilcox, Nebraska

11/03/09 at 3:39 pm

Okay, but what about the guy that is either claustrophobic or terrified of flying? Seems to me like this poor fella' is going to be spending a very significant amount of time (while scared as it is) trying to convince officials that he or she is not a terrorist.

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sirknala

11/03/09 at 3:52 pm

One more thing to worry about, agoraphobic / aerophobic / nosophobic people who slow down screening processes.

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Druzilla84

11/03/09 at 4:47 pm

That maybe true. I just dont think it would work. And even if it does, It will take more than 2 years to do. Because they definately wont get it right the first, second or the third time.

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PinkNBlack21

11/03/09 at 8:06 pm

I'm pretty sure fear secretions all smell the same way regardless of reason. The idea wasn't half bad, but as several others have said, what about the people who are just flat out terrified and nervous to fly?

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animemaster

11/03/09 at 9:30 pm

The cops will now arrest you for having a stressful day, that will sure make things better.

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mifdeath

11/03/09 at 10:52 pm

How about creation of a highly stressful environment, then making it worse by giving authority beyond their means of control to underpaid people. Then lets set up sensors to determine who finds it stressfull being in this environment. Then we'll use that data to 'prove' the stressed out types are criminal. I cannot wait until an agoraphobic person has the misfortune of entering an airport.

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Igot1forya

11/04/09 at 2:55 pm

Chuck Norris can smell fear from over a mile away.

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Azorus

11/05/09 at 9:06 am

Today we have replaced these average security guards "fear sniffing" equipement with ones that will always go off. Lets see if people notice.

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christie1

11/05/09 at 10:48 pm

Why are they sniffing peoples arm pits for the smell of fear, If people are really scared they need to be sniffing about two feet lower down.

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TechnoFreakFace

11/09/09 at 6:02 pm

@christie1
lolz :D
I wouldnt want to be one of those sniffers :D

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