Explosives are not only widely used in military wars,but also the first option for terrorists to perpetrate violence because of their high lethality and strong concealment.Based on the urgent need to protect peoples lives and property,different analytical techniques for explosive detection are taken into account in the field of public security worldwide.Compared with other analytical methods,colorimetric detection is one of the most suitable analytical methods for the rapid on site detection of explosives due to its user friendly control,strong anti interference and with no need of advanced analytical equipment.The advances in colorimetric detection of explosives are reviewed in this paper,including summary of research progress in colorimetric probes and colorimetric array as well as their prospect analysis in the field of explosive detection.Especially,a novel artificial olfactory system,ie.colorimetric artificial olfactory system and its application in explosive detection are further emphatically discussed.In addition,the future direction and application prospects of the colorimetric artificial olfactory system in the field of public security are also looked forward to.