Data analysis for electronic nose systems

Electronic noses (e-noses) employ an array of chemical gas sensors and have been widely used for the analysis of volatile organic compounds. Pattern recognition provides a higher degree of selectivity and reversibility to the systems leading to an extensive range of applications. These range from the food and medical industry to environmental monitoring and process control. Many types of data analysis techniques have been used on the data produced. This review covers aspects of analysis from data normalisation methods to pattern recognition and classification techniques. An overview of data visualisation such as non-linear mapping and multivariate statistical techniques is given. Focus is then on the use of artificial intelligence techniques such as neural networks and fuzzy logic for classification and genetic algorithms for feature (sensor) selection. Application areas are covered with examples of the types of systems and analysis methods currently in use. Future trends in the analysis of sensor array data are discussed.