Reviewed by Lexie CornerJun 4 2024
The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) will coordinate a new Horizon Europe project named AMUSENS. The project aims to create gas sensors for electrical appliances, providing individuals with inexpensive and portable sensors to monitor their exposure to pollutants. The initiative, financed with €8 million over four years, is part of Horizon Europe’s digital industry cluster.
Affordable and Portable Monitoring
The primary goal of AMUSENS is to address the lack of cost-effective methods for monitoring environmental contaminants or gases in specific working situations.
We are particularly interested in gas sensors for everyday products. Our goal is to develop cost-effective and efficient sensors that can be easily integrated into various electronic appliances.
Renaud Leturcq, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
These sensors are primarily used for environmental monitoring of contaminants and occupational safety problems in sectors such as cleaning and hairdressing.
Leturcq added, “Consider a cleaning professional who could carry a portable sensor to monitor their exposure to pollutants. This sensor could also track cumulative gas exposure over time. Another application could involve breath analysis for athletes, helping them monitor fat burning during exercise or detect any potential anomaly.”
Leveraging Nanotechnology and Artificial Intelligence
To achieve this purpose, the project will use multi-pixel sensors and additive manufacturing, which enable selective sensing and simpler adaption to various applications.
Leturcq stated, “The technology involves combining multiple sensors on a single chip and training them to recognize specific environments. By leveraging artificial intelligence, we aim to enhance the selectivity of these sensors to efficiently detect pollutants. We will use also additive manufacturing techniques, such as printing, to streamline sensor production, making it more cost-effective and adaptable to various needs.”
ScioSense, a well-known Dutch sensor technology business, serves as the initiative's main industrial partner. The initiative also works with academic partners such as the University of Brescia in Italy and research agencies like the Institute Mines Telecom in France. With ten partners, including academic, scientific, and industrial groups, the initiative brings together a wide variety of skills and resources.
Leturcq concluded, “This project has the potential to transform the way we monitor environmental pollutants and gases. The expertise and technology used in the project will enable the creation of products with customizable properties and will enhance the resilience of the gas sensor industry by accelerating the development of high-performance products and reducing time to market.”