The robot knows how to sniff

Smart robots can sniff chemical leaks, drugs or explosives become a reality thanks to a new mathematical formula.

The feline- based development program often smells like air or water to look for food or sex. The problem with hunters is that the odors will dissipate in space, leaving traces unclear.

The hunter will have to decide what is the best route to look for - or try to locate the odor on the trail left over, or explore a new area.

An algorithm called Infotaxis balances both ways, using a chi-like path, similar to the flight path of a moth, to optimize the amount of information obtained. The invention is based on a computer model developed by Boris Shraiman and colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley.

MT