OPB Science From the Northwest

Part drone. Part insect. It’s Smellicopter!

06/08/2022 | 7m 37s | Video has closed captioning.

No technology even comes close to the speed and sensitivity of insects and animals when it comes to detecting odors. Now, engineers in Washington have built a moth/drone cyborg called the “Smellicopter” to tap into that insect superpower. It combines the mobility of the drone with the scent-sensitivity of moths to detect chemical leaks, explosive devices and even people buried under rubble.