Wasabi smoke alarms in today's news
Chris Evans was talking about a smoke alarm which has been designed for deaf people, on his BBC Radio 2 show this morning.
Instead of an ear-piercing wail, the device unleashes the chemical compound 'Allyl Isothiocyanate', which gives horseradish, mustard, and wasabi their bite. A red LED on the alarm also starts flashing when smoke is detected.
In tests on hearing and deaf/HoH sleeping people, the device woke nearly all subjects up within two and a half minutes after the stench hit their nostrils. Further tests determined the ideal intensity of airborne wasabi to wake people up but not hurt their eyes in the process.
The alarm is eight inches long by three inches wide and works on a room that's roughly 50 square feet. It was launched last year following a two-year development by Kobe-based fire extinguisher company Air Water Safety Service and Seems, a bioventure in Tokyo.
Interest in the smelly siren is apparently now growing, with one hotel in Nagoya now offering it to hearing-impaired guests. The firms are also targeting noisy environments like karaoke parlors where crooners might drown out an alarm.
The alarms should be on general retail sale in the next few years.
Comments
Fascinating. Great to see thought being given to specific needs of deaf people in technology development. Only question is whether the smelly smoke alarm would out-stench a teenager's bedroom and wake him/her up?!
Posted by: Ian N | February 5, 2010 06:38 PM