Fig. 1: Schematic illustration of the bioinspired mechano-sensor.
a Schematic illustration of the cat whisker sensory system and whisker mechanoreceptor anatomy. b Schematic diagram of a fish lateral line system and a neuromast cross-section. c Schematic diagram of a spider and the tactile hair protruding from its exoskeleton’s surface. d Schematic diagram of the mechano-sensor. A microbubble with a micro-hair, similar to the whisker of a cat, is used to detect tactile stimuli, analogous to a sensory receptor. A fiber taper is used to transmit signals, which is similar to signal transmission by nerve fibers. The polymer matrix can fix the microbubble and fiber taper and protect them from environmental damage, which is similar to the function of the skin. The inset shows an image of a microbubble coupled with a fiber taper under a microscope. The scale bar represents 200 μm. e Experimental setup of the all-optical mechano-sensor system. The blue arrow indicates the direction of the external force. f Responses of the bioinspired mechano-sensor in different deformation states (i.e., Fr = 0 mN, 0.137 mN (φ = 180°), and 0.128 mN (φ = 0°)).
