Device based on spider sense can detect vibrations

BBC : Two years ago, scientists discovered what they called the “lyriform organ” on spiders’ legs, which makes use of a series of slits of varying lengths to detect small vibrations from relatively far away. Now, Mansoo Choi of Seoul National University in South Korea and his colleagues have developed a vibration sensor based on that structure. The sensor is made from a thin layer of platinum placed on a flexible polymer, which is then bent just enough to create a pattern of cracks in the metal similar to the slits in the lyriform organ. When electricity is applied to the sensor, vibrations are produced that periodically widen the cracks, thereby changing the resistance across them. Placed on a violin, the sensor could tell the difference between the various notes being played; on a person’s wrist, it could measure the person’s pulse. The researchers are working to make the sensor more durable and to find a cheaper material than platinum. They also want to improve the device’s sensitivity and find more applications for it.