Future Trends of Bioinspired Smell and Taste Sensors

Anosmia and ageusia are both harmful to the quality of life. However, the common view of anosmia and ageusia as trivial can make it more difficult for a patient to receive the same types of medical aid as someone who has lost other senses, such as sight or hearing. In order to achieve those goals, electronic noses and electronic tongue should be designed to mimic human’s sense rather than outputting electrical parameters only. Unfortunately, most commercial electronic noses (PEN3, zNose) detect volatile compounds in samples [1]. But for human beings, our nose can determine whether the sample is fragrant or not instead of determining what compounds are in the sample.