Soon, Cell phones that can sniff out dirty bombs

London, Feb 6 : Now cell phones will be fitted with radiation detectors that would enable them to monitor cities for "dirty" bombs.

These unique cell phones have been developed by Andrew Longman and colleagues at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The researchers have furnished phones with tiny detectors that are so small that they just add a little weight to a regular smartphone. This would just slightly increase the cost of these phones.

Longman said that readings from thousands of phones including their location, may be combined to produce a "radiation map" of a city.

He said that "Every cellphone sold should be carrying a detector," to guard against terrorist bombs, reports New Scientist.

Earlier in 2004, the researchers designed cellphones containing sophisticated radiation detectors. However, owing to their big size and cost, they could be carried only by police and would not cover the whole city.

ANI