Is anyone familiar with device "Dog on a Chip" that is being developed at Georgia Tech's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering? The device is the brainchild of professor Dr. William Hunt. They claim to have created a new detection tool that is portable, inexpensive, and doesn't require feeding or grooming. They say that it is superior to previous "electronic noses" designed for this purpose.
Search "Dog on a Chip" for more info. Most of the info came out last fall 2003. Though it's difficult to not applaud their effort at taking part in the war on drugs, I have some problems with the assertions they make about drug detection dogs.

Dog drawbacks

-Dogs require expensive handlers to train and care for them. In one article Dr Hunt maintains that one K-9 team costs $100,000 a year to operate. (I don't know where he got that figure)

- Seized drugs must still be sent to the lab for further analysis - adding trained technicians and costly lab equipment to the tab.

- Scientists still don't know what chemicals the dogs as sensing allowing for siginificant variations fron one dog to the next.

- He also states that dogs have trouble detecting specific drug targets in te presence of other odors, such as coffee grounds. Dr. Hunt must have obtained his info from crackheads in Atlanta. You would think that if he is developing a device that will replace drug sniffing dogs he would be up to date with his info.

There new device claims to address all of these issues.

Just curious what others have heard. I work for a new chief who asked me about the device. It may not come available in our lifetime but who knows. I told him that I won't get too concerned unless they develop a device that does building searches and tracks.

I'm a programmer and have several of the I-Cybie dog robots which with some (extensive) modification can be used like low-rent versions of Sony's Aibo. Messing about with these robots led me to Yale's "feral robot" project and other neural network sensor projects.

A lot of times they get sold as the wave of the future for searching out drugs, explosives, etc. Gotta fund your research somehow <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Anyway, I remembered this article
http://www.mech.uwa.edu.au/jpt/demining/info/why-not.html

It's about landmines, but the points the author makes about sensors, need for educated operators, cost effectiveness, etc. are pretty much valid points.

I remember an article from somewhere in the UK where the researcher had visions of replacing perfume testers, wine tasters and chefs with electronic "noses". Oh yum, I'm lookin' forward to that too :rolleyes:

http://www.sandia.gov/media/NewsRel/NR1999/sniffers.htm

Somewhat less evangalistic take on "sniffer" development at Sandia labs.

I don't know about electronic noses but have some issues with a couple of Dr. Hunts points:

- $100,000 a year? Unbelievable. I have a drug dog and you know how much it cost for him last two months....$0 dollars....know how much he help seize in last two months? About $250,000 in cash and assets. Hmmmmm...Roughly total cost to maintain canine since setup...less than $500 in past eight months. My math must be off somewhere. Even with an initial cost built in...not even close.

The bottom line:
- Cost of drug dog? $6000
- Cost of dog monthly maintenance? $75
- Cost of watching dope smuglers go to jail? Priceless. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />


I guess the next thing is the idea that canines have difficulty smelling through coffee grounds, etc. Well I can say this...I think. If my dog can't smell it then some electronic device is not going to 'smell' it! It is all about access to odor.

Coffee grounds...thats for amateurs :rolleyes:

Can you imagine doing a school demo with little kids with an electronic nose? How exciting fot the kids! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I've got 40 drug dogs working and it's hard for me to spend 100,000 annually for operating costs. He must have been trained by the Federal Government on how to establish budgets. Food costs me less than $15,000. Of course that doesn't count salaries, there ya have to figure in another buck eighty an hour or something like that. Gee and I am in law enforcement to get rich. Coffee grounds huh? Well gee I sure hope the dopers don't start hiding thier drugs in coffee geez none of us will ever find drugs again.

Here we are, dinosaurs in a Star War world.

DFrost