Bio-integrated electronics with advanced monitoring capabilities have garnered considerable interest as a means of expanding patient care beyond traditional hospital and clinic settings. These mechanically soft microsystems, many of which are bioresorbable and wireless, have the potential to replace bulky, rigid, and wired medical technologies by matching or exceeding their...
Many species of rodents rely on the set of exquisitely sensitive facial vibrissae (whiskers) to guide rich behaviors in which other senses are inadequate. Although whiskers are, like all hairs, inert strands of keratin, they provide the animal with a rich landscape of tactile information which is used to guide...
Research on rat whiskers offers knowledge in neuroscience analogous to humans\' sense of touch and inspiration for efficient sensing robotics. The present work investigates the rat whisker system from a mechanical engineering perspective. First, key quasi-static and dynamic properties were quantified in Chapter 2 for individual whiskers in an array,...