An Israeli university has developed a new technology that allows a robot to smell with a biological sensor, according to a study released Tuesday.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University connected the sensor to an electronic odor detection system with a sensitivity level 10,000 times higher than current electronic devices.

“The sensor sends out electrical signals in response to the presence of an odor nearby, which the robot can detect and interpret. The researchers believe that in light of the success of their research, this technology could also be used in the future to detect explosives, drugs, disease, and more.

Dr. Ben Maoz and Professor Amir Ayali, who led the study, explained that smell perception is one area where technology is lagging behind.

“An example of this can be found at an airport where we walk through a car that costs millions of dollars and can determine if we are wearing metal devices.”

“But when they want to check if a passenger is smuggling drugs, they bring in a dog to sniff them,” they said, adding that a mosquito can detect “a 0.01% difference in carbon dioxide levels in the air.”

The researchers also noted that some animals can detect diseases and others can even sense earthquakes. In their future work, the Israeli scientists plan to equip the robot with navigational abilities that will allow it to locate the source of a smell and its identity.

Source: inet