• Prof. FAN Zhiyong’s team integrates nanotube sensor arrays for up to 10,000 gas sensors per chip.
  • BOCs exhibit remarkable sensitivity and distinguishability for 24 distinct odors in complex mixtures.

In a groundbreaking feat, HKUST engineers have introduced Biomimetic Olfactory Chips (BOC), heralding a new era in scent detection technology. These chips, mimicking human olfaction, offer exceptional sensitivity and distinguishability, revolutionizing odor analysis and opening doors to innovative applications.

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Overcoming challenges in artificial olfaction

A team from the School of Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has successfully tackled the longstanding challenge of fabricating artificial olfactory sensors equipped with arrays of high-performance gas sensors. Their groundbreaking achievement comes in the form of biomimetic olfactory chips (BOC), which integrate nanotube sensor arrays onto nanoporous substrates, boasting up to 10,000 gas sensors per chip. This configuration closely mimics the mechanism of olfaction in humans and animals.

For decades, researchers worldwide have endeavored to develop artificial olfaction and electronic noses (e-noses) to replicate the intricate workings of biological olfactory systems, particularly in discerning complex mixtures of odors. However, significant obstacles have impeded progress, primarily concerning miniaturization and enhancing recognition capabilities to accurately identify gas species and concentrations within complex odor mixtures.

Multifaceted applications and integration with robotics

In addressing these challenges, Prof. FAN Zhiyong’s research team, based at HKUST’s Department of Electronic & Computer Engineering and Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, devised an engineered material composition gradient enabling the integration of diverse sensors onto a small nanostructured chip. Through the integration of artificial intelligence, their biomimetic olfactory chips exhibit exceptional sensitivity to various gases and can effectively distinguish mixed gases and identify 24 distinct odors. In a bid to broaden the applications of their olfactory chips, the team also integrated them with vision sensors on a robotic dog, creating a hybrid olfactory and visual system capable of accurately identifying objects within concealed compartments.

The development of biomimetic olfactory chips promises to enhance existing applications in food, environmental monitoring, medical diagnosis, and industrial process control, while also unlocking new possibilities in intelligent systems such as advanced robotics and portable smart devices for security patrols and rescue operations.

For instance, in real-time monitoring and quality control applications, biomimetic olfactory chips can detect and analyze specific odors or volatile compounds associated with different industrial processes stages to ensure safety, identify abnormal or hazardous gases in environmental monitoring, and pinpoint pipe leaks for prompt repairs.

This technological advancement marks a significant breakthrough in odor digitization, akin to the prevalent digitization of visual information facilitated by modern imaging sensing technologies. While visual information has seen substantial progress, scent-based information has lagged due to the lack of advanced odor sensors. Prof. Fan’s team’s work paves the way for the development of biomimetic odor sensors with vast potential for widespread adoption, similar to the ubiquity of miniaturized cameras in smartphones and portable electronics, ultimately enriching people’s lives.

Looking to the future, Prof. Fan envisions further advancements in biomimetic engineering, where bio-compatible materials could allow the integration of olfactory chips onto the human body. This innovation could enable the detection of odors normally imperceptible and monitor volatile organic molecule anomalies in breath and emitted by the skin, providing early warnings for potential diseases.