Natural Frequency Measurements of Seal Whiskers Using A 3D-Printed MEMS Graphene-Based Cantilever Sensor

Seal whiskers have been well studied in view of their remarkable hydrodynamic trail tracking capability. The considerable variation in the whisker lengths indicates that the whiskers have different natural frequencies sensitive to various frequency bands of hydrodynamic stimuli. However, a thorough experimental investigation of the natural frequencies of seal whiskers has not been conducted before. Here, we develop a novel and low-cost methodology for easy measurements of the natural frequencies of seal whiskers using a 3D-printed MEMS cantilever sensor featuring a graphene nanoplatelet piezoresistor and a soft encapsulation of the whisker base at the distal end of the cantilever.