On the Effect of Smell on Object Exploration

Disaster relief robots have been studied extensively as a promising approach to realize lifesaving and goods transportation without the need for manpower. Most disaster relief robots are designed to search for and find a person in need of rescue. However, it is not always easy for a robot to find a person in need of rescue at a disaster site, and the person in need of rescue may not even notice the presence of a robot approaching very close by. In this study, we therefore investigate the effectiveness of smell as a method of communicating the presence of a robot. We conducted a search experiment with and without smell to evaluate whether the sense of smell is useful for search. The results of the experiment confirmed its high effectiveness in searching with smell.