TECHNOLOGIES AND TOOLS FOR MIMICKING OLFACTION - STATUS OF THE ROME TOR VERGATA ELECTRONIC NOSE

This pager shows recent results obtained in the held of artificial olf action by an electronic nose based on quartz microbalances. The chemic al interactive material responsible of the sensitivity is, in this cas e, porphyrin, whose performance and optical characterization will be p resented and discussed. The design of the electronic nose and the kind of neural network that has been considered for these applications wil l be illustrated and commented. Future research and perspectives towar d electronic nose miniaturization are also discussed as fundamental mi lestones for reaching closer biomimicking action. (C) 1998 Published b y Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.