lyriform
Latest
Spiders are the key to ultra-sensitive wearable devices
Spiders might creep you out, but don't dismiss them too quickly -- they may well be the ticket to a new wave of wearable sensors. South Korean researchers have built a device that picks up miniscule vibrations by using the principle behind a spider's lyriform organs, which shake (and send nervous signals) in response to the rubbing motions of a nearby mate. The artificial system recreates the lyriform's slits using layers of platinum and soft polymer with electricity passing through. Even very small changes in the size of those slits will alter the electrical resistance, which makes it easy to measure faint vibrations.
