ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Engineering - January 2023 - 14

Sensors
"
We can build a 'library of smells' for customers.
"
a sticking point for OEMs and suppliers. For vehicle
interiors, in addition to laboratory testing, human
panels of " trained noses " are used to judge the smell
of different components and the completed vehicle.
Jordan noted that the industry lacks standardization in
this area: each OEM has its own testing specifications,
rating scales and methodologies.
There also are various global specs issued by
A prototype of Aryballe's olfaction sensor, shown at the
2022 SAE WCX.
biochemical sensors, optics and machine learning
to detect odor and turn it into data. " We're taking
the human being out of the cabin cleaning decision, "
added Jordan, who holds a Ph.D in polymer physics
and also serves as president of the company's U.S.
enterprise, based in Albany, NY.
Humans can sense an average of 1 trillion odors,
Jordan said, but in most cases our noses cannot distinguish
between them. Jordan explained that unlike color
and sound, smell does not inhabit a clear spectrum, so
comparing various odors is highly subjective. Aryballe's
sensor tech was originally developed for the " flavor
and fragrances " industries (i.e., food/beverage and
personal care/cosmetics). It evaluates the characteristics
of individual scent molecules and compares them
against a database of known smells using a combination
of biochemistry, advanced optics and machine learning.
Its first commercial product, the NeOse Pro, is a
handheld sensing tool aimed at field use. Launched at
CES 2018, NeOse Pro (get it?) surprised Jordan and
her team by attracting the interest of automotive OEMs
and suppliers. " Their positive reaction meant that we
had a new and potentially huge market, " she said.
Standards vs. subjectivity
In a 2021 SAE Technical Paper (Use of Digital
Olfaction to Standardize Cabin Odor Testing in
Automotive Interiors, 2021-01-0297), Aryballe scientists
and engineers note that subjectivity in olfactory
testing for automotive validation processes is typically
14 January 2023
SAE, ISO and VDA. The resulting overall situation
regarding olfactory standards can result in more
variation in lab testing, protracted development
times and higher cost. " It's definitely a factor that's
hindering more rapid adoption of autonomous
commercial vehicles, " Jordan observed.
To help solve this logjam, Aryballe in 2019
launched the DOAC - the Digital Olfaction
Automotive Consortium. DOAC members include
Hyundai, Denso and Asahi Kasei, along with IFF, a
stalwart in the flavors and fragrances industries. The
consortium's mission is to address industry trends
related to AVs and new mobility services. Together,
Aryballe and the consortium's founding members will
establish standards for measuring and categorizing
odor in the auto industry and inform olfaction product
development and services.
In addition to setting standards, the DOAC is
collaborating to create an accessible reference database
for odors. It's also helping to evaluate prototype
sensors, proof-of-concept initiatives and new versions
of analytic software from Aryballe Technologies.
Aryballe also is involved with SAE's J3263 task
force that is focused on VOCs, specifically using digital
olfaction methods to measure odor from materials,
parts and assemblies used in automotive cabins. The
task force includes plastics suppliers SABIC and Asahi
Kasei as well as seat fabric suppliers.
A bio-sensing breakthrough
Aryballe's bio-sensing technology was innovated at CEA,
the French government research lab. The biosensors
are peptides - short strings of amino acids, considered
the " building blocks " of proteins. The human nose has
roughly 400 different olfactory receptors that sense those
peptides that have an affinity or reactiveness to the gases
- the smells - that flow over them. Those fluidics bring
ADAS & AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE ENGINEERING
Lindsay Brooke
ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Engineering - January 2023

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