Harbor seal inspired MEMS artificial micro-whisker sensor

Abstract

Harbor seal whiskers possess a unique geometry along the length of the whisker which is believed to suppress vortex induced vibrations (VIV) in frontal flows. This paper presents the design, fabrication and experimental underwater characterization of a MEMS artificial whisker sensor. A bio-inspired artificial whisker fabricated by stereolithography is installed on a piezoelectric MEMS sensing membrane. Experimental results demonstrate that the whisker sensor is able to detect minute disturbances underwater with a velocity detection limit as low as 193μm/s.