Can dogs sniff cancer? AI joins the hunt in India

In Bengaluru, India's tech hub, a rescue dog named Chloe is learning to detect human breath for cancer detection with the help of AI technology. Fitted with a 3D-printed helmet and harness containing sensors, Chloe is part of an experimental project by a Bengaluru-based startup called Dognosis. The startup aims to use dogs' exceptional sense of smell to develop a non-invasive test for various types of cancer, including the seven major types identified in a recent study involving over 1,500 participants from six hospitals in Karnataka state.

Dognosis employs AI to analyze dogs' brain activity, respiration, and body language, converting their reactions to scents into data. In just one hour, the team can perform thousands of sniffs, with each sniff evaluating a sample. The company hopes to launch commercially by next year, making it the third company to offer such services, following firms from Germany and Israel. Early detection of cancer is crucial for improving survival rates, but in India, many patients are diagnosed only after the disease has advanced.

The startup, backed by venture-capital firms including Accel India, is collaborating with government medical institutions for its research. The dogs used in the project are beagles, Malinois, and Shepherd mixes, carefully selected through adoption or legal breeders. All dogs are equipped with a custom-designed "Iron Man" suit, allowing data collection while they work.

Each dog listed on Dognosis's website has a "work-life balance," with work time limited to around 30-45 minutes a day. The dogs are trained using positive reinforcement to detect specific odors, with their reactions and responses recorded for analysis.