Mimicking the Flow Signature of Running Spiders by Utilizing Bio-Inspired Hair Sensors Targeting Spatiotemporal Airflow Mapping

In nature, insects equipped with hair sensors can provide valuable information through the patterns generated by airflow sources. In this article, we modeled and measured the transient response of an artificial hair sensor, which imitates the attack sequence of a spider-cricket in nature. The results indicate a strong correlation between the shape of the measured airflow fields and the shape of the dipole airflow field. The hair sensor is capable of tracking the characteristics of the airflow field with sufficient spatiotemporal resolution. As a demonstration of the feasibility of measuring spatiotemporal airflow patterns using high-density arrays of hair sensors, the dipole flow field obtained is utilized to predict the position of the dipole source. There is good agreement between the estimated distance and the physically set distance of the dipole source. This represents a significant step toward demonstrating the feasibility of a high-resolution “airflow camera” that utilizes artificial hair airflow sensors.