Role for electronic nose in disaster search and rescue
Forensic scientist Dr Maiken Ueland is re-creating dogs' special ability to sniff out human remains by using sensor technology and her knowledge of the chemical breakdown of cadavers to ‘train’ a portable olfaction machine. In recognition of her forensics research, she has been named a NSW 2021 Young Tall Poppy.
Dr Maiken Ueland tested the e-nose during a mass disaster re-creation at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER).
The detection of human victims in mass disasters is a job not many people are capable of doing. The Chernobyl nuclear disaster, 9/11 and New Zealand’s White Island eruption are just some of the tragic events synonymous not just with loss of life but also the courage and professionalism of those who go in to recover bodies.
Current methods of search and rescue require physical effort and machinery – and the risk of injury to rescuers and surviving victims. Thermal imaging is possible in some scenarios but not in a building explosion or fire. Detector dogs are proficient but expensive to train and hard to deploy on site, especially if they need to be flown in.
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