Fraunhofer Institute's fruit checker device tracks optimum
ripeness so you can stop sniffing those melons  Researchers at
the Fraunhofer Institute have developed a small device that can
be used to check the freshness of fruit, telling the interested
parties whether it's ripe or not. Based on previous technologies
which measure -- for example -- car emissions, the device
measures the volatile gases emitted by the fruit and analyzes
its makeup to determine the state of freshness. The team already
has a working prototype, and sees the device, which would cost
somewhere in the thousands of dollars range, as having
widespread application for businesses that supply food to
grocery stores. So far the device has only successfully been
used to test the freshness of fruit, but researchers see
possible future applications in testing meat as well.