Polymeric Sensors to Monitor Cockroach Locomotion

We have developed a method using a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymeric sensor to monitor the leg movements of cockroaches. The PVDF sensor was coated with gold as electrodes. It was attached to the leg of a roach. The voltage signals generated through bending directly correlate to the movement of the legs. It was found that the output voltage was a function of the degree of sensor bending caused by the movement of leg sclerites. An ex situ motorized linear stage generated similar results.