Experience Embedding a Compact eNose in an Indoor Mobile Delivery Robot for the Early Detection of Gas Leaks

Abstract

Indoor transport robots are currently a key robotics application in large industrial assembly lines, and a similar future deployment as indoor mobile delivery robots in large horizontal or vertical buildings can be expected. This deployment can be accelerated if the transport robot is also capable of performing other valuable tasks within buildings. In this direction, this paper presents the first results obtained by embedding a compact, low-power electronic nose (also known as an eNose) in an indoor mobile delivery robot. The objective of this implementation is the evaluation of a delivery robot as an early detector of gas leaks. The general advantage of using the gas sensing capabilities of an eNose is that it can be simultaneously trained to detect a single specific gas or a complex odor composed of various volatile chemical compounds. Experimental application results obtained in real operation conditions have confirmed that a mobile delivery robot embedded with a compact eNose can detect ethanol leaks while making a package delivery inside a building.