Adamant Technologies has created a processor for Apple's iPhone that "can take the sense of smell and taste and digitize them." The company's founder and CEO Sam Khamis said the product utilizes around 2,000 sensors in order to identify smells. Comparatively, there's approximately 400 sensors in the average human nose.
The startup, based in San Francisco, is backed by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and has started the production of chips at a factory located in Austin, Texas. It expects to release apps designed for the chips within 1-2 years.
Adamant is also planning to manufacture a device that will plug in to the iPhone and power a number of apps. One such app would apparently warn users when their breath is not as fresh as they would like.
"Halitosis, or bad breath tracking, is something we're really interested in," said Khamis. He added that the app will tell users if they have bad breath and indicate what exactly caused it. Other apps planned by the firm include one that will test blood sugar for diabetics and measure blood-alcohol levels.