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In a study published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics (Street Neuroscience news), L’Tel Aviv University has released the results obtained with its new robot capable of smelling. The goal was achieved by connecting a biological sensor to an electronic system and, using a machine learning algorithm, they were able to identify odors with a 10,000 times higher level of sensitivity to that of a commonly used electronic device.
In essence, the biosensor is connected to an electronic system capable, through the algorithm, of convert the smell into an electrical signal which is then interpreted by the robot. According to the researchers, their proposal could be used to detect explosives, diseases, drugs and so on.
The researchers explained that biological sensory organs use receptors that identify and distinguish different signals which are converted into impulses sent to the brain which decode them. Doctor Maoz, one of the project managers, however underlined that the technologies currently used by man are still far from the capabilities of animals, especially those of insects.
“Man-made technologies cannot yet compete with millions of years of evolution” explained Maoz. “An example we can find it in airports where we pass through a magnetometer that costs millions of dollars and can detect if we are carrying metal devices. But when they want to check if a passenger is smuggling drugs, they bring in a dog that can sniff it“.
The doctor also described the insects’ currently unrivaled abilities: a mosquito can detect a 0.01% change in carbon dioxide in the air.
At the moment, the researchers were unable to characterize 8 different smells like lemon or marzipan, so you know when the robot detects one. In the near future, the goal is to equip the robot with a navigation system capable of locating the source of the odor and, subsequently, its identity.
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