Vandalism on the (E)-Nose!
Career scientist, Professor Graham Bell participated in the Workshop in 2003 to gain skills needed to commercialise the inventions of his research group. He is now Managing Director of E-Nose Pty Ltd.
E-Nose ™ is a stand-alone electronic device that can detect chemicals on the air. Data can be sent to a central computer for analysis via a line or wireless connection. An alarm is triggered if there is a hostile reading.
A new E-Nose air monitoring product, ‘Graffiti E-Nose™’, can detect the vapor from aerosol spray paint cans. It can be used to alert security officers so they can catch graffiti vandals in the act.
In trials held by NSW Councils several vandals were arrested while spray painting on public property. Now there is a deterrent. The risk of being caught has now risen sharply, thanks to Graffiti E-Nose ™.
E-Nose Pty Ltd has signed a distribution agreement with a WA distributor, Allwest Group, which specialises in the security industry and Allwest is now marketing the Graffiti-E-Nose ™ and E-Nose™ air pollution monitors. WA Councils are particularly concerned that public art is being targeted and damaged by graffiti vandals. The costs of restoration have run into millions of dollars.
Graham says of his Workshop experience, “It was an essential introduction to running a start-up business. It gave me important insights into what a small company needs for survival through the difficult early years. Interactions with supporters and other participants was a very rewarding experience. “