Towards a high-resolution flow camera using artificial hair sensor arrays for flow pattern observations

Bioinspir Biomim. 2012 Dec;7(4):046009. doi: 10.1088/1748-3182/7/4/046009. Epub 2012 Sep 6.

Abstract

Flow-sensor arrays uncover the potential to measure spatio-temporal flow patterns rather than flow measurements at just a single point. We present in this paper the developments in design, fabrication and interfacing of biomimetic flow-sensor arrays, inspired by flow-sensitive organs (cerci) of crickets. For the purpose of high-resolution flow field visualization by our artificial hair flow-sensor arrays, various array-interfacing schemes are discussed and compared. Frequency division multiplexing (FDM) is shown to be an attractive method for efficient interrogation of capacitive array sensors. Using silicon-on-insulator technology with deep trench isolation structures, hair-based flow-sensors with differential capacitive read-out, arranged in single-chip arrays, have been successfully fabricated. FDM is implemented and used to interrogate individual hair sensors providing simultaneous real-time flow measurements from multiple hairs. This powerful approach is demonstrated by reconstruction of the field of a harmonic dipole field at the position of the hairs and by localizing this dipole source relative to the array elements.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomimetics / instrumentation*
  • Conductometry / instrumentation*
  • Electric Capacitance
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Gryllidae / physiology*
  • Mechanoreceptors / physiology*
  • Rheology / instrumentation*
  • Sense Organs / physiology*
  • Transducers*