erd. "This raises the question that if humans had training, maybe they'd do a lot better."
Understanding How We Smell May Save Lives
While we have trained dogs on police forces to sniff out clues. Could humans also be expected to sniff out narcotics at an airport? Probably not, said researchers.
However, "if you understand how people follow a scent trail, maybe you can build a scent-tracking robot to detect landmines," said Porter.
While having sniffing robots is not an immediate reality, researchers at Berkeley hope to use findings from studies such as this to make robots that will be able to perform dangerous tasks -- such as locating mines -- using robotic noses.
"These types of study tell us that human sense of smell is more important to everyday experience than most people appreciate," said Gottfried. "There are ways of improving it simply through experience, attention and practice."
So for now, perhaps we should all stop and smell the roses.