Weberence.com

Vapor detection instrumentation is used to detect anything that leaves an odor such as explosives, drugs, cancer etc. Where do bees fit in all this you might ask…well the answer is simple. A company in the UK called Inscentinel trains bees, much like the same way we train dogs, to stick their tongs out (and expect food as a reward) when they smell a “dodgy” chemical compound.

The bees are strapped on to a holder, that is harmless to them, and a camera/image recognition system alerts the operator when they stick their tong out. Each set of bees is trained to a specific scent and the accuracy of the system is improved by using more bees. In fact a system with large number of bees can be used to detect a range of compounds simultaneously. So using a “100-bee detector” the authorities can train 10 bees to detect Semtex, ten for liquid explosives etc, hence getting a clearer picture as to what potential terrorists might be using.

A more commercial version of this sensor system will be available from spring 2008 and may be experimentaly be used in major airports around the world.

In other words…Bee-careful someone is watching you!

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