Odor Detecting Robots Tell You Honestly If You Smell Bad

odor sniffing head and dog

The scientists at Kitakyushu National College of Technology and robot makers “Crazy Lab” really want you to know when you stink. They created two robots that can detect bad breath and foot odor, then tell you in some of the most embarrassing ways possible when you don’t smell of roses.

odor sniffing robots

The disembodied female head, called Kaori-chan, smells your breath as you exhale into her face. She then gives you an honest (if not super polite) opinion. If your breath is fresh and lovely, she says “Like citrus!” If it’s not so great, she blurts out “Yuck! You have bad breath!” But if it’s awful, she tells you “No way! I can’t stand it!” which might mean that you aren’t welcome to kiss her robotic lips. The worst breath gets the funniest response: “Emergency taking place!”

foot smelling dog

The dog, Shuntaro-kun, is thankfully not endowed with the gift of speech. He will sniff your feet to let you know just how bad the odor is. His reactions range from cuddling up to you (if you happen to have nice-smelling feet), barking (if they’re a bit smelly), falling down and growling (if they’re pretty stinky) or passing out if they’re totally intolerable. Imagine how much nicer the world would smell if everyone had access to brutally honest robots (or humans) who would tell it like it is when it comes to stinkiness.

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See more in Robotics or under Technology. May, 2013.