Biomimetic Whisker Experiments for Tactile Perception

Rodents use their whiskers (vibrissae) for tactile perception. Our artificial whiskers follow the basic design of the follicle of rodent vibrissae. In experiments with the artificial whiskers, we have explored tactile perception based on active whisking, and found the deflection amplitude or velocity provides the localization information of a target obeject. Based on this localization approach, a collection of contact distances at varying protraction angles can discriminate round objects with a varying curvature, or objects with different lateral shapes, such as cubes or cylinders to some extent. In addition, the whisker slip of a single whisker can detect the vertical shape for a smooth surface of objects. Two or more whiskers stacked vertically can recognize the vertical shape by observing the difference of their deflection amplitudes or the time shift of deflection velocity peak. The results may provide a hint of how rodents recognize various shapes using their whiskers.