Scientists in Japan have created bio-hybrid drones, incorporating insect antennae of a silkworm moth for the robotic device to switch on customised odour sensors. This innovation makes drones more suitable in places like navigation, gas detections, and after disaster cases where normal vision can be a limitation due to factors such as dampness, low light and dust.

Functionality and Design

The bio-hybrid drone has an electroantennography (EAG) sensory organ in order to detect odorants. For this purpose, the researchers tried to make improvement in the structure of the electrode and the structure of the enclosure through which the range of odor search and the precision in detection can be improved along with the performance of the drone. 

They also developed what is known as the ‘stepped rotation algorithm’ that reproduces the kind of motion that insects use when they are sensing odour, and this leads to better detection. The airflow goes through a funnel-shaped housing, and its resistiveness is low, while the electrode is made of a conductive material to minimize electrostatic interferences. 

These changes enhance its flexibility in odor-source detection under different environmental condition and different concentration levels while its range of detection is up to 5m.

Motivation and Development

Dr. Terutsuki said that the team is still working on the number of bio-hybrid dragon that made use of live insect antennas as the element of odor sensors that use living subjects’ movements and mechanisms to improve the performance of the odor seeking drone. The researchers opine that they will go a long way in improving the detection of odour and modify the use to be extended to. 

The team previously developed a bio-hybrid drone that incorporates an EAG sensor designed according to the form of insect antennae, however, this system has the detection range below two meters. A new addition in the current study is the use of mechanisms that replicate the physiological systems in insects.

Applications

The odor-sensing bio-hybrid drone as can be used in many areas such as detection of gas leakage, early detection of fires, and public security at airports for detecting dangerous products, and also aid in disaster control by increasing the chances of rescue operations. 

Dr. Terutsuki point out that this technology is most applicable in geographical areas vulnerable to disaster like earthquake, theoretically it can help the rescuers locate people by trailing smells.

Previous Research

Before this advancement, scientists at the University of Washington came up with a drone called the “Smellicopter” that is an autonomous drone fitted with a real moth’s antenna to detect odours. 

It has been determined that the moth antenna can become biologically and chemically active up to four hours after the separation and provided the antenna is connected to the drone, its signals can be electronically read.

 The Smellicopter also has two other appendages: the light plastic fins which serve to keep the flyer pointed upwind and the infrared sensors which prevent the flyer from hitting anything cumbersome in its path.