What We Can Learn from Artificial Lateral Line Sensor Arrays

The lateral line system of fish is important for many behaviors, including spatial orientation, prey detection, intraspecific communication, and entraining. With aid of the lateral line, fish perceive minute water motions. The smallest sensory unit of the lateral line is the neuromast, which occurs freestanding on the skin and in fluid-filled canals. We have built artificial lateral line canal systems that can be used to measure spatiotemporal flow patterns. Those patterns can, for instance, be used to distinguish between different environments and upstream objects.