Navigation Links
Robotic whiskers can sense three-dimensional environment

Many mammals use their whiskers to explore their environment and to construct a three-dimensional image of their world. Rodents, for example, use their whiskers to determine the size, shape and texture of objects, and seals use their whiskers to track the fluid wakes of their prey.

Two Northwestern University engineers have been studying the whisker system of rats to better understand how mechanical information from the whiskers gets transmitted to the brain and to develop artificial whisker arrays for engineering applications.

Mitra J. Hartmann, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Joseph H. Solomon, one of Hartmann's graduate students, have now developed arrays of robotic whiskers that sense in two dimensions, mimicking the capabilities of mammalian whiskers. They demonstrate that the arrays can sense information about both object shape and fluid flow.

A paper about the arrays, which may find application on assembly lines, in pipelines or on land-based autonomous rovers or underwater vehicles, was published in the Oct. 5 issue of the journal Nature.

"We show that the bending moment, or torque, at the whisker base can be used to generate three-dimensional spatial representations of the environment," said Hartmann. "We used this principle to make arrays of robotic whiskers that in many respects closely replicate rat whiskers." The technology, she said, could be used to extract the three-dimensional features of almost any solid object.

Rat whiskers move actively in one dimension, rotating at their base in a plane roughly parallel to the ground. When the whiskers hit an object, they can be deflected backwards, upwards or downwards by contact with the object. The mechanical bending of the whisker activates many thousands of sensory receptors located in the follicle at the whisker base. The receptors, in turn, send neural si
'"/>

Source:Northwestern University


Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Penn Researchers Use Robotic Surgery
2. Penn Surgeons Use Completely Robotic Surgery to Successfully Treat Prostate Cancer
3. Robotic joystick reveals how brain controls movement
4. Robotic therapy helps restore hand use after stroke
5. Robotic exoskeleton replaces muscle work
6. Flick of whiskers helps tease out brains shadow signaling system
7. Bionic arm gives amputee sense of touch
8. To translate touch, the brain can quickly rearrange its sense of the body
9. Monkeys understand numbers across senses
10. Fighting malaria by manipulating mosquitoes sense of smell
11. Bacteria which sense the Earths magnetic field
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: Robotic whiskers can sense three dimensional environment

(Date:6/18/2013)... extract of a yellow-flowered mountain plant long used for ... fruit fly populations by an average of 24 percent, ... Rhodiola rosea , also known as ... study leaders Mahtab Jafari and Sam Schriner. They discovered ... unrelated to dietary restriction and affects different molecular pathways. ...
(Date:6/18/2013)... DNA and this modification can occur in millions ... scientists believed that this epigenetic phenomenon actively reduced ... of researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), ... the Faculty of Medicine, reveals that this is ... may play both a passive and active role ...
(Date:6/18/2013)... University of Adelaide shows that weight gain and increased ... linked to a higher IQ at early school age. , The ... analysed data from more than 13,800 children who were born full-term. ... , show that babies who put on 40% of their birthweight ... by the time they were six years of age, compared with ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Herbal extract boosts fruit fly lifespan by nearly 25 percent, UCI study finds 2The secret of DNA methylation 2IQ link to baby's weight gain in first month 2
... Examining the blood "metabolomics" profile of smokers ... of pathways involved in cell death, inflammation, and ... Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Georgetown ... findings, presented at the Ninth AACR Frontiers in ...
... Department of Agriculture,s National Institute of Food and Agriculture ... to study integrated management of zoosporic pathogens and irrigation ... Chuanxue Hong, professor of plant pathology, physiology, and ... Sciences and the project,s director, explained that the study ...
... 2010 during the United Nations International Year of Biological ... of Understanding joining the Convention on Biological Diversity,s Consortium ... binding treaty with three main goals: conservation of biological ... equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources. ...
Cached Biology News:Studying the metabolome of smokers, Lombardi researchers find early signs of damage 2$2.7 million research award to aid nursery, floriculture industry 2Missouri Botanical Garden joins convention on biological diversity consortium of scientific partners 2
(Date:6/18/2013)... (PRWEB) June 18, 2013 In support ... sustainability, the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York ... Switzerland’s MS Tûranor PlanetSolar , to Manhattan. ... its DeepWater Expedition 2013 tour with scientists on board ... Capitain Gérard d’Aboville, runs exclusively on energy from the ...
(Date:6/18/2013)... USA (PRWEB) June 18, 2013 The ... the opening of two new offices in Asia—one in ... Singapore will serve as RAPS’ Pan-Asia office , ... will be more focused on audiences within China. , ... announced its partnership with five Singapore government agencies to ...
(Date:6/18/2013)... The human skin is the largest organ, yet many ... part. Similar to the liver, or heart, the skin must ... grow. Recent reports from the mankatofreepress.com explained how caring for ... as other life supporting organs. The article suggests several types ... increase the appearance of skin, and fight off acne causing ...
(Date:6/18/2013)... (PRWEB) June 18, 2013 Nasseo, Inc. ... Innovation Challenge Winner out of hundreds of applicants by ... spring Arizona Innovation Challenge . The Arizona Innovation ... for a technology commercialization challenge, granting a financial award ... promising technology ventures. Nasseo’s state of the art dental ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Switzerland’s MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, the World’s Largest Solar Boat, Arrives in New York City 2Switzerland’s MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, the World’s Largest Solar Boat, Arrives in New York City 3Switzerland’s MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, the World’s Largest Solar Boat, Arrives in New York City 4RAPS Opens Offices in Singapore and China 2RAPS Opens Offices in Singapore and China 3Natural Acne Remedies Through Diet, Probiotic Action Shares New Insight on What Foods May Help Lead to Clear Skin 2Nasseo Named 2013 Innovation Challenge Winner by Arizona Commerce Authority 2
... -- A new type of highly sensitive microscopy developed ... limits of modern biomedical imaging, allowing scientists to track ... cells and tissues without the use of any kind ... Raman scattering (SRS), works by detecting the vibrations in ...
... Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, today announced that it is ... videoconferencing system to connect specialist physicians at the hospital ... include the Barrow Neurological Institute, as well as other key ... With the objective of further enhancing patient care ...
... Calif., Dec. 17 Varian Medical,Systems (NYSE: ... and software for cancer treatment and X-ray imaging, announces ... of director,federal affairs, at the company,s recently established government ... Zilly, who has worked on Capitol Hill ...
Cached Biology Technology:New label-free method tracks molecules and drugs in live cells 2St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center to Utilize Clinical InfoNET System for Physicians 2St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center to Utilize Clinical InfoNET System for Physicians 3Maureen 'Mo' Zilly Joins the Varian Medical Systems Government Affairs Team as Director, Federal Affairs 2
iEMS Thermal Microplate Holder...
...
Improve inventory management with stainless steel red cell canisters; ensure product safety with CO2 or LN2 backup systems. A complete solution for your blood banking needs....
... oligonucleotides: PTOs are internucleotide modifications, ... backbone is replaced by a sulphur atom. ... degradation. PTOs are available as ... Oligonucleotides with thio-caps ...
Biology Products: