Fully 3D Printed Multi-Material Soft Bio-Inspired Whisker Sensor for Underwater-Induced Vortex Detection.

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Biomimetics
• Materials Science
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Underwater sensing is crucial for robotics and exploration.
• Pinnipeds utilize sensitive whiskers to detect prey via water vortices.
• Existing sensors lack the biomimetic capabilities of natural systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize a 3D printed, multi-material whisker sensor inspired by pinnipeds.
• To enable detection and tracking of underwater vortices for robotic applications.
• To assess the sensor's sensitivity, reliability, and applicability in soft robotics.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a polyurethane rod whisker with embedded graphene patterns using 3D printing.
• Integration of graphene patterns with copper tape and output wires for resistance-based sensing.
• Digitalization of analog resistance signals for vortex detection via a microcontroller.
• Characterization in a virtual environment simulating underwater prey detection.

Main Results:

• The 3D printed whisker sensor demonstrated high underwater sensitivity (up to ~1180%) in all directions.
• The sensor exhibited excellent mechanical reliability, enduring up to 2000 bending cycles.
• The resistance change correlated directly with whisker displacement, enabling vortex detection.

Conclusions:

• A cost-effective, fully 3D printable flexible whisker sensor inspired by pinniped anatomy has been successfully developed.
• The sensor exhibits remarkable sensitivity and durability for underwater vortex detection.
• This technology holds significant promise for advancing soft robotics and underwater exploration.