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Technology

Smell-seeking drone uses moth antenna to follow a scent

A moth antenna can be integrated into the electronics of a drone to create a smell-seeking bio-hybrid – but it only detects the smell of a female moth

By Matthew Sparkes

8 April 2025

The drone autonomously flies towards a smell source using a moth antenna as a sensor

Daigo Terutsuki, Shinshu University

A drone equipped with an antenna from a male moth can locate the source of a smell more accurately than any electrical sensors. Unfortunately, however, the only smell it can detect is the sex pheromone emitted by female moths.

Electrical sensors for odours are commonly used to detect gas leaks, but these are relatively slow to react to smells and even slower to reset between measurements, says at Shinshu University, Japan. “It’s very difficult to apply that to…

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