Odour-detecting drone uses silkworm moth antennae; Japanese researchers hope to use it for disaster rescue

Shinshu University Associate Professor Daigo Terutsuki, right, and another researcher show the odour-detecting drone on Feb. 19 at Shinshu University in Japan. - The Yomiuri Shimbun via The Japan News/ANN

NAGANO: Researchers at Shinshu University and another institution have developed an odour-detecting drone that uses antennae taken from living insects.

The “insect drone” can autonomously find its way to the source of an odour or pheromone. The researchers hope that, by widening the range over which it can detect odours and ultimately making it able to detect the scent of humans, they will turn the drone into a useful tool for search and rescue activities at disaster sites.