Israeli scientists develop sniffing robot with locust antennae

Source: The post is based on the article “Israeli scientists develop sniffing robot with locust antennae” published in The Hindu on 10th February 2023.

What is the News?

Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed a bio-hybrid robot.

What is a Bio-hybrid Robot?

Biohybrid robots are composed of biological and synthetic components.

These robots are being developed to reconstruct biological functions in mechanical systems to obtain a better understanding of biological designs. 

For example, biohybrid robots powered by skeletal muscle tissue have already succeeded in performing various movements.

What have the scientists from Israel developed?

Scientists from Israel have developed a sniffing robot which is equipped with a biological sensor.

The robot uses the antennae of a locust to diagnose disease and improve security checks.

Locusts smell with their antennae. The scientists will use the locust’s antennae to hone the computer’s scent detection abilities.

Significance: This could help advance disease diagnosis and improve security checks.