Nigerian inventor Oshiorenoya Agabi has designed and developed a computer that can identify the smell of explosives and cancer cells through a combination of neurons and silicon.
The Nigerian neuroscientist, who is based in Silicon Valley, unveiled his incredible invention at the TEDGlobal conference in Tanzania this week.
Agabi’s neurotechnology startup Koniku has developed the modem-sized artificial intelligence device that uses a combination of mice neurons and circuitry to detect and recognize smells, such as explosives for use in bomb detection, according to BizCommunity.
Applications for this kind of revolutionary technology include airport security, bomb squad operations and bomb disposal activities in war-torn countries.
In addition, numerous medical breakthroughs could be possible, as the device could also be used to detect illness by sensing markers of a disease in the air molecules that a patient gives off, according to ITNewsAfrica.
Being able to smell and detect cancer cells at an early stage could lead to huge gains in early detection and treatment of such diseases.
Nigerian inventor with a neurotechnology startup
Agabi discussed Koniku Kore, as his device is known, at the TEDGlobal Tanzania, with 700 researchers, innovators, and academics from all over the world in attendance to discuss technology, science, and politics in the African context.
“Biology is technology. Biology has the most extensive open source hardware and software,” Agabi said, according to BBC.
“You can give the neurons instructions about what to do – in our case we tell it to provide a receptor that can detect explosives,” he added.
“This device can live on a desk and we can keep them alive for a couple of months. We think that the processing power that is going to run the robots of the future will be synthetic biology-based and we are laying the foundations for that today,” he said.
The Nigerian inventor revealed that major brands were already putting his technology to use, with the company’s current $8 million revenue expected to increase to $30 million in 2018, Quartz reports.
Agabi is a member of several international science and engineering societies, including the Swiss Physical Society, Swiss Society for Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience, American Physical Society and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
As AI improves in leaps and bounds, scientists are trying to make and succeeding in making machines more like our brains, able to learn and understand their surroundings: a prospect that is terrifying for many.
Musk, who has repeatedly warned about the perils of AI making humans obsolete, is working on a new project to implant ‘neural lace’ brain-interface technology to prevent humans becoming like a ‘house cat’ to potential machine masters.
However, Mr Agabi, who grew up in Lagos where he helped his mother sell food on the streets, believes the future of AI lies in making machines more alive.
He believes his company could build a cognitive humanoid system based on synthetic living neurons in the next five to seven years.
‘It’s not science fiction,’ he told AFP.
‘We want to build a brain of biological neurons – an autonomous system that has intelligence. We do not want to build a human brain.’
Mr Agabi did a bachelors degree in theoretical physics in Lagos before taking an interest in neuroscience and bio-engineering for his PhD in London.
He spoke at the opening session of the four-day TEDGlobal conference, putting African ideas, innovation and creativity in the spotlight with a variety of speakers who each get an 18-minute window to get across their message of choice.
TED – originally known as Technology, Entertainment and Design – has built a global following for its online videos of inspiring talks devoted to ‘ideas worth spreading.’
The annual international version is taking place in Africa for the first time in a decade with a new crop of ‘TED Fellows’ from the continent to take to the stage.
‘This gathering couldn’t come a moment too soon,’ said TEDGlobal co-curator Emeka Okafor.
‘Africa has experienced spectacular economic, demographic and creative growth, but both opportunity and danger are rising at an exponential rate. Our conference will gather the idea catalysts, problem-solvers and change-makers already hard at work here charting Africa’s own path to modernity.’