Odorveillance and the Ethics of Robotic Olfaction [Opinion].

Of the five “traditional” exteroceptive senses - sight (vision), hearing (audition), taste (gustation), touch (somatosensation), and smell (olfaction) - olfaction has one of lowest “data rates,” but is (arguably) the least understood and least well-developed in terms of automation. Robotic vision would seem to be much further advanced than robotic olfaction. Additionally, this comparison is just i...