Fraunhofer Institute's fruit checker device tracks optimum ripeness so you can stop sniffing those melons

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have developed a small device that can be used to check the freshness of fruit, telling the interested parties whether it's ripe or not. Based on previous technologies which measure -- for example -- car emissions, the device measures the volatile gases emitted by the fruit and analyzes its makeup to determine the state of freshness. The team already has a working prototype, and sees the device, which would cost somewhere in the thousands of dollars range, as having widespread application for businesses that supply food to grocery stores. So far the device has only successfully been used to test the freshness of fruit, but researchers see possible future applications in testing meat as well.

[2late2die Posted Aug 4th 2009 9:39PM]

Wth, I can't believe there are no comments on this post. I see this as a very useful device to put in elevators to figure out who "paid the piper", "let the goose loose", "did a backward sneeze", you get the picture. :D

Oh, and I will never stop sniffing melons.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 4th 2009 10:33PM]

>>Oh, and I will never stop sniffing melons.

I was coming on to say that.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 4th 2009 11:06PM]

I prefer the ever-popular 'squeeze-and-sniff' method.

[One Love Posted Aug 5th 2009 1:02AM]

I happen to like sniffing melons.

[versionII Posted Aug 4th 2009 10:36PM]

woohooo

ok now lets get going to cure cancer

[joshuaw Posted Aug 4th 2009 10:41PM]

I prefer to push my face between the melons and shake my head very quickly. I find it is much more effective.

[Poop Chef Posted Aug 4th 2009 10:57PM]

hehe NEAT. That works great with cucumbers too!

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 4th 2009 10:48PM]

Next up: a sensor to determine happiness in cats.

[Poop Chef Posted Aug 4th 2009 10:56PM]

Do you have pictures of your cats? I can tell if they're happy!!!!

[Steve2000 Posted Aug 5th 2009 12:22AM]

Cat's don't do happy, just lesser degrees of annoyed.

[Eternal Density Posted Aug 4th 2009 10:53PM]

Motorboat.

That is all.

[thrillchuckles Posted Aug 4th 2009 11:05PM]

+1

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 4th 2009 11:01PM]

I'm pretty sure that there is already a sticker available that changes colour depending on how ripe the fruit is and it certainly doesn't cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 4th 2009 11:04PM]

nobody noticed that papayas were mentioned in the previous post?

eerie.

[Cheesus Crust Posted Aug 4th 2009 11:38PM]

1 Ripe, 2 Posts

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 5th 2009 12:23AM]

I'd definitely like to know if this will work on that apple keyboard... you know, since it's like a ripe papaya. Gotta know if it's really ripe or not, right?

[unzarjones Posted Aug 5th 2009 12:16AM]

I'd rather have a sensor that let me know if human manure was used. I ain't sniffin to find out.

[OLight Posted Aug 5th 2009 10:12AM]

AAACK!!! Electronic spiders in my fruit!!

[/robotapocalypse]

[Wwhat Posted Aug 5th 2009 4:39PM]

Of course the unscrupulous merchants will get some canisters of the right gas they spray in the cases before offering for sale, and don't think they won't, the BBC once uncovered that they had whole factories in euope (netherlands for instance) where they injected poultry meat with water, since that's sold by the pound and nobody notices or is physically harmed by water, you jut get suckered in paying more, bastards.