Would You like a feature Interview?
All Interviews are 100% FREE of Charge
In 2023, we will have cameras and microphones that match and exceed human vision and hearing capabilities. However, despite all the technological advances, humans have not succeeded in creating a better nose. We’ve perfected the receptors we use to identify them. But with the help of nature, scientists may be making a breakthrough on that front.
In a study published Monday in the journal Biosensors and bioelectronicsa group of researchers at Tel Aviv University (via) ) recently said it created a robot that can identify a handful of odors 10,000 times more sensitive than some specialized electronics. They describe their robot as a bio-hi hybrid platform (read: cyborg).It features a set of antennas taken from It is connected to an electronic system that measures the amount of electrical signal produced by the antenna when it senses an odor. They paired the robot with an algorithm that learned to characterize odors by their signal output. In this way, the team created a system that could reliably distinguish between eight “pure” odors, including geranium, lemon, and marzipan, and two mixtures of different odors. Scientists say their robots could one day be used to detect drugs and explosives.
A YouTube video from Tel Aviv University claims the robot is a “scientific first,” but last June, researchers at Michigan State University used a surgically modified grasshopper to test the robot.2016 In 2015, scientists tried to turn grasshoppers into bomb-detecting cyborgs. After causing crop failures for thousands of years, pests may finally be doing something useful.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by an editorial team independent of the parent company. Some stories contain affiliate links. When you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publication.