Nigerian Scientist Creates A Computer That Can Smell Explosives And Cancer Cells
Silicon Valley-based Oshi Agabi has unveiled a computer based not on silicon but on mice neurons at the TEDGlobal conference in Tanzania. The system has been trained to recognise the smell of explosives and could be used to replace traditional airport security, he said. . Eventually the modem-sized device - dubbed Koniku Kore - could provide the brain for future robots. Agabi is attempting to reverse-engineer biology, which already accomplishes this function with a fraction of the power it would take a silicon-based processor. EYES OF LAGOS learnt that, He launched his start-up Koniku over a year ago, has raised $1m (£800,000) in funding and claims it is already making profits of $10m in deals with the security industry. Koniku Kore is an amalgam of living neurons and silicon, with olfactory capabilities — basically sensors that can detect and recognise smells. . "You can give the neurons instructions about what to do - in our case we tell it to provide a receptor that can de...