Israel Launches Sniffing Robot To Detect Diseases, Aid In Security Checks

Scientists from Israel have developed a sniffing robot which is equipped with a biological sensor. The robot uses the antennae of a locust to diagnose disease and improve security checks.

Locusts smell with their antennae. The scientists will use the locust's antennae to hone the computer's scent detection abilities. Researchers at Tel Aviv University have managed to harness their bio-hybrid robot, making it far more sensitive than existing electronic sniffers, a Reuters report said.

The scientists have placed the insect's antenna between two electrodes that can send signals to identify the odour on a four-wheeled robot. The robot can identify different types of scents with machine learning.

Neta Shvil of the Sagol School of Neuroscience told Reuters, "Ultimately, we are trying to create a robot with a sense of smell that will be able to distinguish between smells and to locate them in space."

To understand how animals detect disease by smell, developer Ben Moaz of the Fleischman Faculty of Engineering and Sagol School of Neuroscience said the future applications would almost be endless, extending to the detection of drugs and explosives and even food safety.

He told Reuters, "We are overwhelmed with possibilities."