Japanese scientists have developed a pocket drone that, with the right equipment, can be used to identify leaks of harmful chemicals. It will come in handy, e.g. during search and rescue missions. Robots are devices with very wide applications that can help in various tasks. They can not only carry heavy loads or patrol the area, but they can also detect harmful substances. Thanks to electronic noses, they can identify and determine the source of the smell, so they are ideal for looking for harmful chemicals. However, developing such a robot is not easy. It requires the integration of high-performance odor sensors, state-of-the-art deep learning algorithms, robust robotic platforms and motion planning tools. However, Japanese scientists managed to do it, thanks to which they created a prototype of a flying nose.
The drone will detect leaks of harmful substances
Researchers from Osaka University, SoftBank Corporation and Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a small drone that could have a wide range of applications. A small gadget can, for example, track leaks of harmful substances during search and rescue operations or missions aimed at protecting the environment.
Credit: Shigaki et al. A palm-sized unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with particle velocity imaging technology. It is a technique optical to measure the air flow velocity for the entire area. Scientists have used it to determine the direction from which chemicals are coming. What was needed, however, was a system that could monitor chemicals in three dimensions. Therefore, integrated odor sensors have been placed on the top and front surfaces of the drone. To accommodate this unique sensor setup, bio-inspired algorithms have also been developed to allow moths to track chemical traces. This solution allowed to create technology that allows the odor to be tracked continuously, regardless of the direction it comes from. For now, this is only research into new technologies, not equipment that could already be used. However, in the future, they could pave the way for better robots to detect odors and identify their sources. However, scientists intend to continue working on their invention and refine it so that it works equally well in unknown environments, full of different objects. If you are looking for a drone for a Christmas gift, on this page you will find a wide selection of them at affordable prices. #advertising Source
