According to researchers and microbiologists, locusts have the ability to smell a cell that has cancer, as well as detect different explosive scents, through their antennas.
Neta Shvil, Ph.D. student at Tel Aviv University, has developed a robot to try to apply the insect’s capability for real-world applications, like diagnosing illnesses and sniffing out contraband at security checks.
The detection is done by placing the antenna of the locust on the bio-hybrid robot, after which, Shvil explained, “the electrodes record the neutral activity from the neurons inside the antenna as a response to smell.”
The electrodes inside the robot carry the electrical signals and are read by the electronic system of the robot.
Dr. Ben Maoz of Tel Aviv University said, “The possibilities are infinite. For example, to identify explosives, to identify rotten food, to identify drugs.”
According to Shvil, this is the first robot to run based on the bio-hybrid principle with the characteristics of an organism and synthetic material made from technology.
