Machine Olfaction and Embedded AI Are Shaping the New Global Sensing Industry

2025/10/22 by Andreas Mershin, Mershin, Andreas, Nikolas Stefanou +16
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Engineering · Neuroscience · #Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies #Biomolecules (q-bio.BM) #Emerging Technologies (cs.ET) #FOS: Biological sciences #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Insect Pheromone Research and Control #Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2510.19660

openalex publication_date 2025/10/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Machine olfaction is rapidly emerging as a transformative capability, with applications spanning non-invasive medical diagnostics, industrial monitoring, agriculture, and security and defense. Recent advances in stabilizing mammalian olfactory receptors and integrating them into biophotonic and bioelectronic systems have enabled detection at near single-molecule resolution thus placing machines on par with trained detection dogs. As this technology converges with multimodal AI and distributed sensor networks imbued with embedded AI, it introduces a new, biochemical layer to a sensing ecosystem currently dominated by machine vision and audition. This review and industry roadmap surveys the scientific foundations, technological frontiers, and strategic applications of machine olfaction making the case that we are currently witnessing the rise of a new industry that brings with it a global chemosensory infrastructure. We cover exemplary industrial, military and consumer applications and address some of the ethical and legal concerns arising. We find that machine olfaction is poised to bring forth a planet-wide molecular awareness tech layer with the potential of spawning vast emerging markets in health, security, and environmental sensing via scent.

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Related

• Design files: High-speed odour sensing using miniaturised electronic nose
• Enhancing Olfactory Perception Through Large Language Models: Integrating Sensory Data for Advanced Odor Recognition
• Position: Olfaction Standardization is Essential for the Advancement of Embodied Artificial Intelligence
• Data Science In Olfaction
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