Learning from Nature:

Biologically-Inspired Sensors
taking inspiration from nature to solve sensing problems
Dedy H.B. Wicaksono

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

 CASE 1

Source: Wikimedia Commons

 CASE 2

Source: http://www.deepwater.com/fw/main/Deepwater-Horizon-56C17.html (upper left

image) and Wikimedia Commons (lower right image)
 CASE 3

Source: Detik Foto (upper left image), and Elshinta.com (lower right image)
 CASE 4

Source: Ndyteen (left) and detik.com (right)

 CASE 5

Source: Dubois, L., J. de Lange, et al. (2010). "Excessive bleeding in the floor of
the mouth after endosseus implant placement: a report of two cases." International
Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 39(4): 412-415.
 CASE 6

Source: Wikimedia Commons

CASE 7
 What is the Problem?

Providing appropriate necessary

information at appropriate time for the
appropriate persons

Sensors could be part of the solution. Then

what information needs to be sensed, why,
and how?
 OVERVIEW

•What are Sensors? Why is it necessary?

• Biomimetics-Bioinspired-Bionics?
Bio-inspired Sensors?
• Biological Sensors and Bio-inspired Sensors
 DEFINITION
Sensors?
a device that measures a physical quantity
and converts it into a signal which can be
read by an observer or by an instrument
[Wikipedia]
a device or organ that detects certain external
stimuli and responds in a distinctive manner
[Wiktionary]

Sensor is a type of transducer, converting one energy (or rather

information) form into another readable, processable form.
 DEFINITION

Sensors?

your window to your surrounding!

 Biomimetic-Bionics-Bioinspiration?

• The development of product inspired by

specific design in nature.
• To take a particular ideas of solving
problems from nature, and implementing
the ideas to solve ‘real world’ engineering
problem.

FUNCTION!!
Bio-inspiration
 BIO-INSPIRED SENSORS

Sensors inspired from Biological

Sensory Organs found in Life/Nature
(Sensitive, Adaptive, Robust, and
Redundant)

• Structural Biomimetics
• Processing Biomimetics
 Biological and Artificial Sensors

• Ionic • Electronic or Optic

• Stochastic • Deterministic
• Making use of noise • Get rid of the Noise!
• Adaptive • Mostly set for
particular conditions
• Redundant • Essential
• Robust components
• Hierarchical • Fragile
• One-level
 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

Mechanical

Flow and Vibration

Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors
 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

• Flexible cuticular “hair” arise from innervated

socket
• Develop from epidermal cells
– trichogen cell forms hair
– tormogen cell forms socket
– sensory neuron
• single dendrite at the hair base
• axon travels to the ganglion
Sensory neurons respond to the
movement of the hair
by firing impulses at a frequency
related to the extend of deflection
 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

From the group of Gijs Krijnen, Twente Universiteit

Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors
 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

From Chang Liu’s group UIUC

 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

Mechanical

Strain-Stress for Proprioception

 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

• Proprioceptors (self-perception receptors)

– Hair plate at joints or neck in contact with adjacent
body part
• relative position of body part
• detection of gravity
– Campaniform sensilla
• detect stress on the cuticle
• distortion (halteres)
– Internal stretch receptors
• detect distension of organs
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

Field of hairs at wing base in cockroach

Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

From Matushkina, N., and Gorb, S., J. of

Insect Physiology 48 (2002) 213-219
 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

The Campaniform Sensillum – Dome-shaped Membrane-in-Recess

 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

The Campaniform Sensillum – Dome-shaped Membrane-in-Recess

Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

Scolopidium
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

Slit Sensilla and

Lyriform organ of the
whip spider
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors
 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

Mechanical

Dynamic acceleration
The Haltere
 The Haltere

Halteres Hammer-shaped Pillar

Muscles & Drive & Sense Electrodes

Mechano-receptors

Nerve Control-loop Interface Electronics

 The Haltere

Halteres Beating Swinging Motion

The Haltere
 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

Electromagnetic

Infrared Radiation
 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

• Boid snakes, vampire bats

• Forest fire-seeking beetle (Melanophila
acuminata)
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors
 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

Qgen = generated heat [W/m3]

kth = thermal conductivity
[W/mK]
cth = thermal capacity [J/kgK]
r = density [kg/m3]

Only heat conduction!

Parabolic temperature profile with maximum in the centre:

Maximum temperature at centre:

Thermal time constant:

 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

• Simulations confirm analytical formulas

• For membranes >100 mm other heat transfer phenomena than
conduction play an important role
 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

100

Analytically Calculated
Sensitivity for d=1000 nm
80 Numerically Simulated
Sensitivity for d=1000 nm
Analytically Calculated
60 Sensitivity for d=600 nm
Numerically Simulated
Sensitivity [K/W/cm2)]

Sensitivity for d=600 nm

40 Experimentally obtained
Sensitivity d = 600 nm
Analytically Calculated
Sensitivity for d = 300 nm
20
Numerically Simulated
Sensitivity for d = 300 nm
Analytically Calculated
0 Sensitivity for d=100 nm
0 200 400 600 800 1000 Numerically Simulated
Sensitivity for d=100 nm
-20 Analytically Calculated
Sensitivity for d=50 nm
Numerically Simulated
-40 Sensitivity for d=50 nm
Membrane Sidelength [mm]
 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

2
10
7 9 8 4
3 6

12 1

11

Patent Pending EP Appl No. 07120507.4

 Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

Hierarchical Nature of Information

Processing
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors
Biological and Bio-inspired Sensors

Supra-Molecular Level!!
 CONCLUSIONS

• Nature can provide inspiratios for possible solutions

to sensing problems
• Information processing in nature happens at various
physical domains at multiple scale
• Taking inspiration from nature should be based on
sound scientific and engineering knowledge to
understand the basic mechanism
• Challenges include limitation in current fabrication
technology and embedded neural-like processing
• The possibilities are endless…