Indian startup trains sensor-equipped dogs to sniff out cancer with AI accuracy
Bengaluru startup Dognosis is training dogs fitted with sensor gear to detect cancer, reporting over 90% accuracy in a recent study.
Bengaluru-based startup Dognosis has equipped Labrador mix Chloe and fourteen other dogs with 3D-printed helmets and sensor-laden harnesses to turn their scent detections into data. By analysing brain signals, respiration and body language with artificial intelligence, the dogs evaluate breath samples collected on cotton masks. A study involving over 1,500 participants at six Karnataka hospitals, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, reported more than 90% accuracy across seven cancer types.
The company hopes the technique can serve as an inexpensive, rapid first-line screen, especially in India where many cancers are diagnosed late. Oncology heads at Ramaiah Memorial Hospital and Manipal Hospitals welcomed the early results but stressed the need for larger validation studies. Training relies on positive-reinforcement at the “Sniffspace” centre, with dogs working 30-45 minutes daily.
Why it matters
Early, affordable cancer screening could improve survival rates in a country where most cases are detected late.
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