A research team led by the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has successfully tackled the challenge of creating artificial olfactory sensors with arrays of diverse high-performance gas sensors. Their newly developed biomimetic olfactory chips (BOC) can integrate nanotube sensor arrays on nanoporous substrates with up to 10,000 individually addressable gas sensors per chip, mirroring the olfactory system of humans and animals.
Researchers worldwide have been working on artificial olfaction and electronic noses (e-noses) for years, aiming to replicate the complex mechanism of the biological olfactory system to distinguish complex odorant mixtures effectively. However, miniaturizing the system and improving its recognition capabilities to identify gas species and concentrations within complex mixtures have been major challenges.
To address these challenges, Prof. FAN Zhiyong and his research team at HKUST utilized an engineered material composition gradient to enable diverse sensors on a small nanostructured chip. By harnessing artificial intelligence, their biomimetic olfactory chips demonstrate exceptional sensitivity to various gases, excellent distinguishability for mixed gases, and the ability to recognize 24 distinct odors. The team also integrated the chips with vision sensors on a robot dog, creating a combined olfactory and visual system for accurate object identification in blind boxes.
The development of biomimetic olfactory chips will enhance the applications of artificial olfaction and e-noses in various fields such as food, environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, and industrial process control. It also opens up possibilities for intelligent systems like advanced robots and portable devices in security patrols and rescue operations.
For instance, in real-time monitoring and quality control applications, biomimetic olfactory chips can detect specific odors or volatile compounds related to different industrial process stages for safety assurance, identify abnormal or hazardous gases in environmental monitoring, and pinpoint pipe leaks for prompt repairs.
This technology represents a significant advancement in odor digitization. While visual information digitization has seen widespread adoption, scent-based information has remained untapped due to the lack of advanced odor sensors. Prof. Fan’s team’s work has laid the foundation for biomimetic odor sensors with vast potential for diverse applications, similar to the ubiquitous presence of miniaturized cameras in electronic devices, enhancing people’s quality of life.
“In the future, with the development of bio-compatible materials, we envision placing biomimetic olfactory chips on the human body to detect odors that are normally imperceptible. This technology could also monitor volatile organic molecules in breath and emitted by the skin to alert individuals to potential diseases, showcasing the broader potential of biomimetic engineering,” said Prof. Fan.
