The whiskers that help rats find their way around dingy sewers has inspired a tactile sensor that could be used for navigating all manner of dark conditions. Scientists have developed a device capable of generating images of obscured environments by monitoring both air and fluid flow, and which could find its way into biomedical applications.
Researchers working at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and its affiliate, the Advanced Digital Sciences Center in Singapore, built the sensor using super-elastic Nitinol wires and coating them in plastic straws. The whiskers each measure around 15 cm (6 in) long and 3 mm (0.12 in) thick. By attaching strain gauges at their base and applying air flow with a regular hair dryer, the system is able to track the movement of each individual whisker.
via Gizmag
