Finnish tech could let smartphones “see” gas

Smartphones are already able to monitor things such as light, sound, movement and geographical location. Soon, airborne gases could be added to that list. That’s because VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a miniature phone-compatible sensor, that uses light to identify the type and amount of gases in air samples.

The sensor is a scaled-down version of a Fabry-Pérot interferometer.

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I’m sure I’ve already seen a miniature CO2 sensor that could be used. One small enough, at least, to be launched in a hobby rocket to measure CO2 in the upper atmosphere.

Probably not too many smartphones in the upper atmosphere.

OCDC said:

Probably not too many smartphones in the upper atmosphere.

smartphones will probably control whole rocket programs one day soon

probably could even now

be good for the mining industry

Here’s a selection of miniature gas sensors already available. Gases identifiable include CO2, CO, LPG, coal gas, ethanol, natural gas, O3, CH4, H2.

http://www.futurlec.com/Gas_Sensors.shtml

Not sure whether these are bigger than that described in the article, they range down to 16 mm diameter & 10 mm high (for ethanol).

looking at the data sheet for those gas sensors, at 16mm x 9mm they wouldn’t fit in a smartphone.

ChrispenEvan said:

looking at the data sheet for those gas sensors, at 16mm x 9mm they wouldn’t fit in a smartphone.

The smartphone sensor is a scaled-down version of a Fabry-Pérot interferometer.

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s a selection of miniature gas sensors already available. Gases identifiable include CO2, CO, LPG, coal gas, ethanol, natural gas, O3, CH4, H2.

http://www.futurlec.com/Gas_Sensors.shtml

Not sure whether these are bigger than that described in the article, they range down to 16 mm diameter & 10 mm high (for ethanol).

coal seam gas and natural gas are a bucket terms used to describe varying mixtures of methane and other alkanes (with some carbon dioxide and nitrogen thrown in for good measure) and lpg is a mix of propane and/or butane – detecting these gases would be like saying you have a device that tests for ‘air’

in any case, I’m not sure I’d want to be testing for potentially explosive gases with a smart phone.

diddly-squat said:

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s a selection of miniature gas sensors already available. Gases identifiable include CO2, CO, LPG, coal gas, ethanol, natural gas, O3, CH4, H2.

http://www.futurlec.com/Gas_Sensors.shtml

Not sure whether these are bigger than that described in the article, they range down to 16 mm diameter & 10 mm high (for ethanol).

coal seam gas and natural gas are a bucket terms used to describe varying mixtures of methane and other alkanes (with some carbon dioxide and nitrogen thrown in for good measure) and lpg is a mix of propane and/or butane – detecting these gases would be like saying you have a device that tests for ‘air’

in any case, I’m not sure I’d want to be testing for potentially explosive gases with a smart phone.

they use interferometers in astronomy with good accuracy

whats wrong with a mini one that does the same thing?

CrazyNeutrino said:

diddly-squat said:

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s a selection of miniature gas sensors already available. Gases identifiable include CO2, CO, LPG, coal gas, ethanol, natural gas, O3, CH4, H2.

http://www.futurlec.com/Gas_Sensors.shtml

Not sure whether these are bigger than that described in the article, they range down to 16 mm diameter & 10 mm high (for ethanol).

coal seam gas and natural gas are a bucket terms used to describe varying mixtures of methane and other alkanes (with some carbon dioxide and nitrogen thrown in for good measure) and lpg is a mix of propane and/or butane – detecting these gases would be like saying you have a device that tests for ‘air’

in any case, I’m not sure I’d want to be testing for potentially explosive gases with a smart phone.

they use interferometers in astronomy with good accuracy

whats wrong with a mini one that does the same thing?

It’s not how the device works that’s the problem just that the devices themselves aren’t intrinsically safe