Diffusion Graph Neural Networks and Dataset for Robust Olfactory Navigation in Hazard Robotics

TL;DR

This paper introduces a diffusion-based molecular generation method and a new dataset to improve robotic olfactory navigation, addressing data limitations and sensor ambiguities for better source identification.

Contribution

It presents a novel diffusion model for expanding olfactory chemical space and a multimodal dataset to enhance robot olfaction and navigation accuracy.

Findings

Generated molecules improve sensor detection capabilities.

Enhanced olfaction-vision models better associate odours with sources.

Framework supports applications like explosives detection and search and rescue.

Abstract

Navigation by scent is a capability in robotic systems that is rising in demand. However, current methods often suffer from ambiguities, particularly when robots misattribute odours to incorrect objects due to limitations in olfactory datasets and sensor resolutions. To address challenges in olfactory navigation, we introduce a multimodal olfaction dataset along with a novel machine learning method using diffusion-based molecular generation that can be used by itself or with automated olfactory dataset construction pipelines. This generative process of our diffusion model expands the chemical space beyond the limitations of both current olfactory datasets and training methods, enabling the identification of potential odourant molecules not previously documented. The generated molecules can then be more accurately validated using advanced olfactory sensors, enabling them to detect more compounds and inform better hardware design. By integrating visual analysis, language processing, and molecular generation, our framework enhances the ability of olfaction-vision models on robots to accurately associate odours with their correct sources, thereby improving navigation and decision-making through better sensor selection for a target compound in critical applications such as explosives detection, narcotics screening, and search and rescue. Our methodology represents a foundational advancement in the field of artificial olfaction, offering a scalable solution to challenges posed by limited olfactory data and sensor ambiguities. Code, models, and data are made available to the community at: https://huggingface.co/datasets/kordelfrance/olfaction-vision-language-dataset.