Apr 28, 2016 05:35 AM EDT By Mariel Hemingway, UniversityHerald Reporter

The bomb-sniffing technology was developed by University of Wisconsin's Fusion Technology Institute. The bomb-sniffing technology is an inexpensive way to find undetonated and hidden explosives and has other potential uses. The invention is compact that it can be fitted inside drones making it an effective substitute for specialized forces who undergo through these kinds of missions.

Yahoo reports that the bomb-sniffing technology scans suspected areas for explosives and other materials by scanning for specific signatures. Since the invention is a small device that can be mounted on drones, it can also be used for search and rescue missions, especially people trapped under building rubbles, mining and many more.

However, there are still drawbacks that need to be resolved in the University of Wisconsin's bomb-sniffing technology. Digital Trends notes that the device cannot detect anything that is buried 3 to 6 feet below the surface. The drone with the bomb-sniffing technology could fly closer to the ground, however, it might get destroyed or "shot down."

There are also health concerns about using the bomb-sniffing technology such as the radiation that it uses to scan an area. The researchers say that the levels of radiation are only small. International Business Times reports that people standing in the direct path of a scanning bomb-sniffing drone will only get a similar radiation exposure from travelers flying in an aircraft at 30,000 ft for 10 minutes.

Furthermore, the bomb-sniffing technology mounted on drones also cannot search for explosives that are under the sea. Since the reach of the device is only limited, the main component of water which is hydrogen also gets in the way of the neutrons that the technology uses. The bomb-sniffing technology may take about a year before it will be sold to the public.

Will the new bomb-sniffing technology make mining, search and rescue and looking for undetonated explosives easier? Share us your thoughts in the comments below.

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