THE NOSE PROJECT / EST. 2024

Where Smell Becomes Data

Independent research. Real hardware. Helsinki, Finland.

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THE IDEA

The last sense we haven't digitalized.

Sight was first digitized in 1957, when NBS researcher Russell Kirsch created the world’s first digital image. Sound had already crossed that threshold in the 1930s, when engineers began experimenting with digital audio. Over time these breakthroughs became so familiar that they faded into the background of daily life.

Smell, the chemical sense, has early forms of digitalization, but it remains far from everyday use. Its full potential is still unexplored.

👁
Sight solved
👂
Sound solved
👃
Smell in progress
THE PROBLEM

Breath carries information. But unlocking it isn't easy.

Exhaled breath contains hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) that reflect what's happening inside the body. From metabolic or digestive processes to the growth of cancer cells. Accessing that information today requires clinical laboratories, invasive sampling, or equipment that costs thousands.

There is not enough portable, real-time devices that decodes breath chemistry for everyday use.

We’re working to change that.

Breath analysis concept art — The Nose Project
THE TECHNOLOGY

Custom hardware. On-device processing.

The device uses custom-configured MOS sensors that are highly sensitive, compact, and affordable. They are great at "smelling", but they cannot know where the smell comes from. Here is where our proprietary machine learning algorithms come in, linking the sensor data to specific health conditions.

Our goal is to process these smells inside the device, so as much data as possible stays in your hands, literally.

Gas sensor array Edge processing BLE connectivity Breath sampling path Real-time output 3D printed enclosure
THE DEVICE

"The Nose" - A pocket-sized breath analyzer.

Early prototype with propietary design, a custom sensor board, USB‑C charging and BLE connectivity.

The Nose Project prototype — 3D printed device on desk Three iterations of The Nose Project prototype The Nose Project prototype v0
APPLICATIONS

Chapter 01

Our current focus is metabolic monitoring and tracking how the body shifts between energy sources in real time.

But breath chemistry reflects more than metabolism. The scope of what this technology could address is something we're actively exploring. We'd rather show results than make promises.

WHO WE ARE

Two engineers. One obsession.

We're Javi and Elena. ICT Engineering students in Helsinki, soon graduating. We've been through two incubators and one accelerator working on this project. We care about building things that are technically rigorous and actually useful.

Javier Jorganes — Project Lead at The Nose Project Javier Jorganes

Javi Jorganes

Project Lead

Background at GE HealthCare. Left to go all-in on The Nose Project. Leads project development, hardware design, and overall direction.

Elena Blinova — Software & Data at The Nose Project Elena Blinova

Elena Blinova

Software & Data

Develops custom LLM servers for companies like SaveLAN Oy. Handles data analysis, algorithm development, and software architecture for the project.

WHAT WE LIKE

  1. Approaching problems from unexpected angles.
  2. Learning by doing.
  3. Challenging assumptions and exploring unconventional solutions.
  4. Rethinking from first principles.
  5. Talk to people.
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STAY UPDATED

We'll share updates as things develop.

No spam. Infrequent, honest updates on progress, findings, and direction.

GET IN TOUCH

Let's talk.

Whether you're a researcher, developer, company, institution, or just curious — we'd love to hear from you.