Body odor is a very serious issue, so serious in fact that there is actually a market for high-tech devices that alert users if they start to stink.

The problem with body odor is that you can’t really smell it on yourself, and in an exceptionally polite society like Japan’s that can put people in uncomfortable situations. Carrying a bottle of deodorant on you at all times during the summer is quite common in Japan, but putting on too much of that stuff too can irritate the skin or stain clothing, so it’s not exactly a foolproof solution.

If only we had a way of knowing when we smell, and how bad.

Thankfully, Japanese wellness device maker Tanita just unveiled its newest creation, a handheld smell checker that analyzes body odor and ranks its intensity on a scale of 1 to 10.

Called the ES-100, Tanita’s smell-sensing device was inspired by the company’s range of alcohol breath analyzers. They basically adapted their technology to check for odor-producing particulate matter instead of alcohol and the ES-100 was born.

This thing is easy to use. Just flip it open and point the built-in sensor toward the problematic areas of your body. It reportedly takes about 10 seconds for the handheld device to collect and analyze data, after which it will display a numerical result on its small LED display. Zero means you don’t smell, 1 to 4 are acceptable levels of body odor, 5 to 9 should really have you concerned, and 10 means you’re a walking biohazard.

Interestingly, the Tanita ES-100 doesn’t work just for naturally occurring body odor, but also for cologne. So if you feel that too much cologne is just as bad as the musky smell of perspiration, you can use the handheld device to check if you’ve overdone it with the perfume.

Tanita said that it expects the ES-100 smell checker to be really popular with salary men in their 40s and 50s, the ages at which statistics show men start to be more concerned about their potential bad body odor.

The Japanese company adds that the device could be useful for other groups as well, like people who want to make sure body odor doesn’t ruin their date, or those who work in close proximity to other people.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【万无一失的】wànwúyīshī de foolproof so simple, plain, or reliable as to leave no opportunity for error, misuse, or failure

【生物公害】shēngwù gōnghài biohazard a biological agent or condition that is a hazard to humans or the environment

体臭是相当严重的一个问题，事实上，能够提醒用户是否有体臭的高科技产品还是挺有市场的。

体臭的问题在于，你闻不出自己身上的味道，而在日本这样一个高度重视礼貌的国家，这会将他人置于窘境。在夏天随时携带一瓶除臭剂在日本是很常见的，但是太频繁地使用除臭剂会刺激皮肤或弄脏衣服，所以这并不是万全之策。要是我们能知道自己是否在散发体臭以及有多臭就好了……幸好日本保健设备制造商百利达刚刚推出了一款最新发明——一款手持体臭检测器，能够分析体臭并显示体臭程度（一共10级）。

百利达的这款名为ES-100的体臭检测器的灵感来自该公司的酒精呼气检测仪。他们对检测酒精的技术做了改进，用其来检测产生体臭的微粒，ES-100就这样诞生了。

这款体臭检测器使用方便。只要打开它，将内置传感器的那一头对着可能散发体臭的身体部位即可。据报道，这款手持检测器只需要10秒钟就能收集和分析数据，并在小小的LED显示屏上显示出数字结果。0代表你没有体臭，1到4是可以接受的体臭，5到9是令人担忧的体臭，10意味着你是行走的生物公害。

有趣的是，百利达ES-100不仅对天然体臭有效，而且还对古龙香水有效。如果你觉得喷太多古龙香水和汗臭一样糟，你也可以用这款手持设备来检测你是否喷了太多古龙香水。

百利达称，它期待ES-100体臭检测器会受到四五十岁的男性上班族的欢迎，统计数据显示，这一年龄段的男性开始担忧自己可能散发出难闻的体臭。不过，百利达补充说，该设备对其他人群也有用，比如那些想确保体臭不会毁掉约会的人，还有那些工作环境需要和他人近距离接触的人。

(Chinadaily.com.cn)