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Olfaction

Olfaction

The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

The process of olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is a sophisticated chemical response system. The specialized sensory neurons that facilitate this process, known as olfactory receptor neurons, are situated in an upper segment of the nasal cavity, known as the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory sensory neurons are bipolar, with their dendrites extending from the epithelium's apex into the mucus that lines the nasal cavity. Airborne molecules, when inhaled, traverse the olfactory...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 14, 2025

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Published on: August 27, 2021

High-speed odor sensing using miniaturized electronic nose.

Nik Dennler^1,2, Damien Drix¹, Tom P A Warner^3,4

¹Biocomputation Group, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK.

Science Advances

|November 6, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a miniaturized, high-speed electronic nose that matches the rapid odor detection capabilities of animals. This breakthrough enables real-time scent analysis in robots for various applications.

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Last Updated: Dec 14, 2025

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

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Published on: August 27, 2021

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Area of Science:

Robotics
Biomimetic Engineering
Sensor Technology

Background:

Animals possess rapid olfactory recognition within milliseconds.
Current artificial olfaction systems are slow, bulky, or power-intensive, limiting robotic applications.
A need exists for miniaturized, high-speed electronic noses.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a miniaturized, high-speed electronic nose system.
To achieve temporal resolution comparable to animal olfaction in robotic systems.
To enable real-time scent analysis for mobile robotics.

Main Methods:

Development of a miniaturized electronic nose with high-bandwidth sensor readouts.
Implementation of tightly controlled sensing parameters and advanced algorithms.
Evaluation on a high-fidelity odor delivery benchmark for performance assessment.

Main Results:

Successful classification of odor pulses within tens of milliseconds.
Demonstration of temporal pattern encoding for stimuli switching up to 60 Hz.
Achieved unprecedented performance in miniaturized, low-power settings, exceeding mouse olfactory capabilities.

Conclusions:

The developed electronic nose matches the temporal resolution of animal olfaction.
This technology enables real-time scent analysis in robotic systems.
Potential applications include environmental monitoring, security, and neuroscience research.