Insect-inspired adaptive behavioral compensation strategy against olfactory sensory deficiency for robotic odor source localization

Abstract The ability to navigate toward potential mates, food sources, or nesting sites is a fundamental trait shared across species. Despite their small nervous systems, insects demonstrate remarkable odor-guided navigation, making them ideal models for bioinspired robotics. Although robots capable of odor-source localization have been developed, their practical deployment remains limited, particularly under conditions involving physical impairment. In this study, we investigated how sensory deficits affect odor localization behavior in male silk moth Bombyx mori , which locates females using sex pheromones. Remarkably, even after the removal of one antenna, the primary olfactory organ, the silk moth retained its ability to locate the odor source. Behavioral analyses revealed that navigational strategy depended on the spatial position of odor detection. We replicated this strategy in a quadrupedal robot by designing a system capable of estimating odor positions analogous to moth antennae. Robotic experiments confirmed that adaptive behavioral selection based on bilateral or unilateral odor cues sustains efficient odor localization. These findings highlight fundamental principles of robust robotic navigation system development capable of maintaining performance even under sensor impairment, as required for long-duration or rescue missions.