Highly sensitive flow detection with biomimetic whisker sensors

Seals have an incredible superpower hidden in their whiskers! Unlike regular whiskers of land animals, a seal’s are specially shaped to detect even the tiniest movements in the water. This allows them to "see" with their whiskers, tracking fish by following the ripples they leave behind—almost like reading invisible footprints in the ocean. Even in complete darkness or murky waters, seals can hunt with amazing accuracy, sometimes following a fish’s trail minutes after it has passed. Their whiskers are so sensitive that they can tell the difference between a struggling fish and the flow of ocean currents. It’s nature’s own underwater radar! In our lab, we are developing seal whisker inspired underwater sensors and facilities to test the sensors. For this exhibit, we would like to welcome audience into our lab and see our sensor prototypes made with high precision 3D printing and PDMS molding. Come and see our whisker sensors in action, detecting miniature flow disturbance with speed as low as 0.5 mm/s in a water tank with custom data acquisition hardware and software.