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A low-frequency acceleration sensor inspired by saccule in human vestibule
Yani Jiang1, Jialong Liu1, Wenxuan Zhang1
1College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, No. 196 West Huayang Road, Yangzhou, China.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|March 1, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed a Bionic Saccule (BS) inspired by the human inner ear's saccule for balance sensing. This artificial vestibular system demonstrates similar sensing principles and sensitivity to the human saccule.
Area of Science:
- Biomimetics
- Neuroscience
- Robotics
Background:
- The human vestibular system, particularly the saccule, is crucial for sensing gravity and linear accelerations, enabling head balance.
- Sensory Hair (SH) cells in the saccule are the biological basis for this gravity-sensing mechanism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a Bionic Saccule (BS) that mimics the sensing principle and structure of human Sensory Hair (SH) cells.
- To evaluate the sensing capabilities and performance of the developed Bionic Saccule (BS).
Main Methods:
- A Bionic Sensory Hair (BSH) was designed based on the SH cell structure.
- Nine BSH arrays were integrated into a bionic macular within a spherical shell to create the Bionic Saccule (BS).
- Electromechanical theoretical models were derived, and the BS was subjected to impact oscillations to analyze output charges.
Main Results:
- The Bionic Sensory Hair (BSH) demonstrated the ability to sense bending deflection.
- The Bionic Saccule (BS) successfully detected positional changes in both the sagittal plane and three-dimensional space.
- The BS exhibited high sensitivity (1.6104 Pc s²/m), fast response, and a low resonance frequency comparable to the human saccule.
Conclusions:
- The developed Bionic Saccule (BS) effectively replicates the sensing principles of the human saccule.
- The BS shows potential for applications in robotics, artificial vestibular systems, and clinical disease diagnosis.
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