ILias AI Co., Ltd. (CEO Bumsuk Ko) participated in ‘Pre-CES2025 Incheon (IFEZ)’ on November 13 at the Grand Ballroom C of Songdo Convensia.
Founded in 2022, ILias AI is a startup specializing in olfactory intelligence technology. The company develops technology that digitizes smells into data, aiming to provide a platform for commercializing olfactory-based products and services across industries.
Its first product, the Digital Sniffer Dog MVP, is currently under development. This AI-powered olfactory drug detection scanner identifies drug possession by capturing and analyzing smells from passengers or luggage at airports and ports. ILias AI has partnered with the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) to co-develop and commercialize the product.
ILias AI will participate in the IFEZ Pavilion at CES 2025 in the United States next year. The company plans to demonstrate its technological capabilities globally and explore business expansion opportunities in the international market. At CES 2025, it will unveil the Digital Sniffer Dog MVP to the public for the first time.
The Digital Sniffer Dog uses a multi-channel sensor array and deep learning-based olfactory intelligence to detect drugs in high-risk environments like airports and ports. The company explained that the system mimics human olfactory receptors to detect specific smells in the air and determine drug possession.
Using an AI-based olfactory recognition system, the device collects and analyzes smells around people or their belongings. The AI system relies on pre-learned drug scent data to identify specific odors and instantly determines if drugs are present, providing real-time results.
Unlike traditional visual, chemical, or physical drug detection methods, this system digitizes smells into multidimensional data, offering high accuracy and reliability. It enables quick, non-invasive inspections, reduces false positives, and provides consistent detection results in real-world security settings.
Key advantages of the Digital Sniffer Dog include adaptability to new drugs. The AI deep learning model can learn and identify various medicines, including emerging ones, thanks to its advanced AI design that allows continuous data updates. Its automated detection system can operate 24/7, enabling large-scale inspections in airports and ports. The system is also more precise than X-ray scanners or ion detectors, capable of detecting even small traces of drugs.
Unlike traditional drug-sniffing dogs, the Digital Sniffer Dog requires lower maintenance costs and ensures consistent performance, making it a standout solution.
Although not yet commercially available, the Digital Sniffer Dog MVP has gained recognition for its innovation and technological potential through various accolades, including a bronze medal at the Biz Project Contest (March 2023), a special prize at the B-Startup Challenge (June 2024), third place at the UKC 2024 Startup Pitching Competition in San Francisco (August 2024), and the Best Innovation Technology Award in the ABB category at FIX 2024 Innovation Awards (October 2024).
ILias AI aims to use its participation in CES 2025 as a springboard to enter the global security market, starting with the U.S. and gradually expanding worldwide. The company is preparing to obtain aviation security product certifications, including TSA certification in the U.S. and ECAC accreditation in Europe, to deploy the Digital Sniffer Dog as a security solution at airports.
In the long term, ILias AI plans to enhance its capabilities by offering platform services for commercializing olfactory-based products and services across various industries.
Organized by the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZA) and Incheon Technopark, ‘Pre-CES2025 IFEZ’ is part of the ‘Global Top 10 City Incheon Week’ held in the third week of November. Integrating five related events, the event focuses on key themes like healthcare, bio, and smart cities. On November 13, the IFEZ Smart City Tech Conference and the CES2025 Incheon Pavilion showcase occurred concurrently.