This robot made from an insect can detect cancer cells and bombs at the airport

Did you know that locusts can smell cancer cells? They do so with their antenna.

Neta Shvil, Ph.D. student at Tel Aviv University in Israel, has built a robot to try to apply the insect's capability for real-world applications, like diagnosing illnesses and sniffing out contraband at security checks.

"The possibilities are infinite. For example, to identify explosives, to identify rotten food, to identify drugs," said Dr. Ben Maoz of Tel Aviv University.

Shvil places the antenna of the locust on the bio-hybrid robot, after which "the electrodes record the neutral activity from the neurons inside the antenna as a response to smell," he explains.

The electrodes inside the robot carry the electrical signals and are read by the electronic system of the robot.

According to Shvil, this is the first robot to run based on the bio-hybrid principle with the characteristics of an organism and synthetic material made from technology. — LA, GMA Integrated News