Smellicopter

Researchers at the University of Washington are developing a drone they hope will be able to sniff out chemicals. Sensors that can do this aren’t new or unusual—think of the carbon monoxide detector in your house. But how THIS drone senses the chemicals is just bizarre. It uses an antenna harvested from a real moth. Melanie Anderson is one of the University of Washington doctoral students working on what is called the Smellicopter. (Originally aired: January 5th, 2021)