3D-Printed Artificial Cilia Arrays: A Versatile Tool for Customizable Mechanosensing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Bio-inspired cilium-based mechanosensors show high responsiveness for various applications.
• Challenges exist in developing multifunctional, scalable, customizable, and linear sensors due to complex fabrication and sensing mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address challenges in developing advanced cilia-based mechanosensors.
• To propose a novel "inter-cilium contact" sensing mechanism for enhanced sensitivity and reduced detection ambiguity.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of high-aspect-ratio polycaprolactone/graphene cilia structures using 3D printing.
• Utilizing an "inter-cilium contact" mechanism for sensing.
• Demonstrating customizability in cilia dimensions and arrangement.

Main Results:

• Achieved high conductivity and facile fabrication of the cilia structures.
• The "inter-cilium contact" mechanism functioned akin to an on-off switch, enhancing sensitivity.
• Demonstrated customizability in thickness, height, spacing, and arrangement while maintaining robustness.

Conclusions:

• The proposed conductive cilia-based sensing mechanism offers advantages for multi-sensing capabilities.
• The sensor design enables highly sensitive detection in diverse applications like flow monitoring, braille, and debris recognition.
• Advancements support flexible electronic skin for smart robotics and prosthetics.