Abstract
Blind cavefishes are known to detect objects through hydrodynamic vision enabled by arrays of biological flow sensors called neuromasts. This work demonstrates the development of a MEMS artificial neuromast sensor that features a 3D polymer hair cell that extends into the ambient flow. The hair cell is monolithically fabricated at the center of a 2 μm thick silicon membrane that is photo-patterned with a full-bridge bias circuit. Ambient flow variations exert a drag force on the hair cell, which causes a displacement of the sensing membrane. This in turn leads to the resistance imbalance in the bridge circuit generating a voltage output. Inspired by the biological neuromast, a biomimetic synthetic hydrogel cupula is incorporated on the hair cell. The morphology, swelling behavior, porosity and mechanical properties of the hyaluronic acid hydrogel are characterized through rheology and nanoindentation techniques. The sensitivity enhancement in the sensor output due to the material and mechanical contributions of the micro-porous hydrogel cupula is investigated through experiments.
Highlights
Biomimetic sensor development is an interdisciplinary field involving material science, biology and micro/nano engineering, in which, inspirations from biology are mimicked in developing novel sensor designs, sensing principles and for investigating new materials for sensors
We have conducted proof-of-concept experiments to determine the flow sensing performance the biomimetic MEMS sensor. Both the naked hair cell sensor and the hydrogel-capped sensors were of the biomimetic MEMS sensor
Both the naked hair cell sensor and the hydrogel-capped sensors tested to investigate the enhancement in the sensing performance of the sensor due to the biomimetic were tested to investigate the enhancement in the sensing performance of the sensor due to the cupula-inspired hydrogel capping
Summary
Biomimetic sensor development is an interdisciplinary field involving material science, biology and micro/nano engineering, in which, inspirations from biology are mimicked in developing novel sensor designs, sensing principles and for investigating new materials for sensors. It involves the investigation of both structural and material designs of the biological counterparts of interest with the goal of engineering artificial sensors [1]. This work is inspired from the neuromast sensors on the lateral-line of fishes, which help them to locate and identify their predator, prey and surrounding objects as well as aid in efficient maneuvering
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