A Japanese copier maker has unveiled a pocket-sized device that senses everything from smelly feet to under arm odor - and alerts you about unpleasant smells via an app.
Called KunKun, or 'sniff,sniff' in Japanese, the gadget detects specific chemicals that cause greasy smells or are associated with the scent of rancid cooking oil and a sweaty-locker room.
KunKun was developed by Konica Minolta, but is the brainchild of Hiroshi Akiyama, 43, who brought the idea to the firm after he began to worry about his body odor – as it becomes a problem for a lot of men in their 40s, reports The Wall Street Journal.
'It's difficult to recognize your own smell,' said Daisuke Koda, 42 years old, who had a hand in making the hand-held device.
'We can give relief by telling people how smelly they are and freeing them from the anxiety of not knowing.'
KunKun is small enough to fit in the coat pocket, which lets users take with them on the go and discretely.
Users simply place KunKun on their body and the device goes to work by sniffing out specific chemicals.
Konica Minolta explained that the device is capable of picking up chemicals that cause three types of body odor, which includes the sweaty-locker room smell.
The device uses its built-in sensors to search for ammonia and isovaleric acid, chemicals that cause this smell, then reports back to the user via an a companion app.
It can also detect 2-nonenal, which produces a greasy odor and diacetyl – a chemical that makes you smell like 'rancid cooking oil'.
The 'sniff, sniff' product is a joint effort with researchers at the Osaka Institute of Technology.
And the firm is working to advance the product to detect pet smells, cigarette odors and when you are wearing too much perfume.
The device is set to go on sale this summer and is expected to be a few hundred dollars.
The Japanese view on cleanliness is taught to them at an early age and in a way that makes it seem like a virtue.
Some firms in Japan have even gone so far as to crack down on 'smell harassment' by ordering employees to brush their teeth at lunch and use deodorant – so it may not be surprised the country has a new device to pick up smells.
Glasses manufacturer Owndays Co has put such an emphasis on odour care, it is included in its dress code and employee appraisals.
After receiving a complaint from a customer about store staff smelling like cigarettes as they adjusted glasses, bosses set about stamping the problem out.
Store staff members are instructed to brush their teeth after lunch or a break, to refrain from using perfume - but not deodorant - and to avoid eating strong-smelling food before or during work.
'Smells can worsen the impression of our stores,' a company official told Mainichi.
'There are many positive sides to the measures, too, such as an increase in employees who, concerned about cigarette breath, are trying to quit smoking.'
Another tactic used by employers is sending staff to seminars like the one put on last month by men's cosmetics company Mandom Corp where 40 workers from SoftBank went along.
The aim was to teach employees about the causes of body odor and how to use deodorants properly.
