Optimization Of Bio-inspired Hair Sensor Arrays

Crickets use a pair of hairy appendages on their abdomen called cerci, each of which contains numerous mechano-receptive filiform hairs. These sensitive hairs can respond even to the slightest air movements, down to 0.03 mm/s, generated by the approaching predators and initiating an escape mechanism in the crickets. Bio-mimicking the cricket cerci, arrays of artificial hair sensors have been successfully fabricated using advanced MEMS techniques. Despite its appreciable performance, the actual cricket filiform hairs outperform artificial hair sensors by several orders in sensitivity. Nevertheless, more careful look at the anatomy and physiology of the cricket cerci provides new directions to be explored with MEMS technologies to realize higher sensitivities on a par with crickets’. This paper aims to provide an overview of comparisons between the actual and artificial hair sensors in terms of sensitivity, structural functionalities and robustness and draws out constructive insights to optimize sensor performance.