An Artificial Olfactory System Based on a Memristor Can Simulate Organ Injury and Functions in Air Purification

Abstract

Artificial olfactory systems are receiving increasing attention because of their potential applications in humanoid robots, artificial noses, and the next generation of human–computer interactions. However, simulating the human olfactory system, which recognizes, remembers, and automatically takes protective measures against gases, remains a challenge. In this paper, a WO3–TiO2@Ag NPs (silver nanoparticle) gas sensor was prepared by the sol–gel method, and an Al/pectin:AgNP/ITO memristor was prepared by spin coating and vacuum evaporation. The gas sensor has been combined with the memristor to simulate physical damage to humans in a dangerous gas environment for a long time, and an artificial olfactory system is constructed by field-programmable gate array external control. The WO3–TiO2@Ag NPs gas sensor can sense and identify ethanol vapor through changes in resistance, and the signal transmitted to the pectin-based memristor can switch the resistance state of the memristor to store gas information. Furthermore, the activation of the memristor can also trigger rotation of the fan to purify the gas and reduce damage caused by excessive exposure to dangerous gases. This artificial olfactory system provides a promising strategy for the development of artificial intelligence and human–computer interaction systems.