Sensors that ‘sniff out’ Covid-19 could be rolled out in UK sports stadiums

Coronavirus smell sensors are set to be installed across UK sport stadiums and concert halls by next December, according to the boss of a biotechnology start-up building Covid-19 sniffing robots.

Osh Agabi, the chief executive and founder of Koniku, has struck a partnership deal with SmellCells, which makes "smell stations" that can be installed at venues.

The stations will be powered by Koniku’s Konikore technology, which is currently able to detect dangerous chemicals and explosives using "jellyfish-like sensors" to smell them, and is expected to soon be able to smell viruses such as Covid-19, bringing back results in seconds.

Clinical trials over using the smell-bots to detect Covid-19 kicked off in September. 

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Koniku said it is hoping to get approval for its devices for use on Covid-19 in the first half of next year.

SmellCells is understood to be in talks with some global companies in the UK in the cargo shipping and railway transportation sectors, over rolling out smell stations. 

Koniku said the plan was to have the sensors used across the world at event venues.

Mr Agabi said: "I imagine a lot of venues this time next year will have our technology in them. It’s a given that we will be deploying the first devices by December this year."

He said the company "will have Koniku in the UK by this time next year", likely in concert halls. "I think Covid-19 will be with us for a while, and if you’re going to a venue, I imagine you’ll see something powered by Koniku at the venue to make sure you’re not infecting others."

SmellCells said the technology would "allow us to identify a vast array of biological and chemical security threats, diseases, explosives, drugs in sport stadiums, museums and hotels — and that’s only a very partial list". 

It follows news earlier this year that Koniku had struck a deal with Airbus to have its sensors installed at airports, forming what Airbus described as the "last line of defence" against threats. 

The company recently received backing from Japanese investing giant SoftBank under its SoftBank Investment Advisers Emerge program to help it accelerate growth. 

Aside from striking deals for its technology to power other devices, Koniku is also planning to start selling its scent-detection devices directly to consumers, which it said could be installed in homes. 

Mr Agabi said: "We want to have our devices in every bathroom in every home, where you can just breath on the device and it can analyse your health data."