Intricate Sensors Inspired by Butterflies, Peacocks and Beetles

Innovation: Academia

University of Surrey,University of Sussex

2020

Image: Irina Blok / Unsplash / CC BY SA - Creative Commons Attribution + ShareAlike

Sense Touch and Mechanical Forces in a Living System

Perceiving touch enables living systems to detect other living systems around them and environmental conditions, such as air movement, water currents, and temperature. This ability can help them sense danger as well as opportunity, as when a Venus flytrap’s hairs sense the presence of an insect to eat. Sometimes, a living system senses touch or mechanical forces at a coarse scale; other times, at a sensitive scale that detects very subtle differences. For example, a human elbow is not nearly as sensitive to textures as human fingertips. Fingertips have dermal ridges and many nerve endings that increase sensitivity, enabling them to explore the environment in detailed ways. Elbows don’t need to sense at that level of detail.

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Sense Chemicals (Odor, Taste, etc.) From the Environment

Chemicals are important for signaling and communication among living systems, either intentionally (such as when two living systems try to find one another) or unintentionally (such as when a plant emits a chemical signal that an herbivore can use to find a tasty bite). They are also important for other uses, such as navigating or finding sources for minerals. But chemical signals are often relatively weak and disperse when moving through water or gases. Therefore, detecting them requires specialized abilities, including a way to determine where they are coming from. A well known example of sensing chemicals can be seen in ants following a pheromone trail laid down by others in their colony to locate a quality and abundant food source.

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Sense Atmospheric Conditions

For some living systems, the ability to detect changes in atmospheric conditions can be very valuable. By predicting changes in regional weather or in very localized conditions, living systems can avoid or take advantage of those changes. Since such adjustments can be very subtle, living systems must be able to detect miniscule variations in moisture, barometric pressure, ions in the air, and other environmental cues. Many insects and birds, for example, can predict oncoming storms and take cover before their lives are put at risk.

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Smart sensors from University of Surrey and University of Sussex have flexible photonic crystals that change color when heated.

Benefits

Reduced energy use
Reduced cost
Wearable
Versatile

Applications

Security
Medical devices
Food packaging
Pharmaceuticals

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Goal 3: Good Health & Wellbeing
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities

The Challenge

Sensors are usually designed to react to certain stimuli one at a time, such as movement or temperature changes. Few sensors are able to detect multiple stimuli without having to change modes, and those that can are usually expensive and energy-intensive.

Innovation Details

The smart sensor has color-changing, flexible photonic crystals that respond sensitively to physical and chemical stimuli. The crystals are made with a small amount of graphene which causes the formation of colloidal crystals that have angle-dependent structural color, similar to butterfly wings and peacock feathers. By default the crystals appear green, but when the sensor is stretched or heated the crystals reflect the light differently, causing them to appear blue or even transparent. The change in color is visible to the naked eye and completely reversible when the stimuli revert back to the original condition.

Biological Model

Butterfly wings and peacock feathers contain nanoscale structures that reflect and absorb light in different ways to produce color. This method of manipulating light results in brilliant iridescent colors, which the animals rely upon for camouflage, thermoregulation, and signaling to potential mates.

See Related Strategy

Biological Strategy

Butterflies Hack Light Waves to Produce Brilliant Color

Morpho butterfly

Wings of morpho butterflies create color by causing light waves to diffract and interfere.

References

Journal article

Mechanochromic and Thermochromic Sensors Based on Graphene Infused Polymer Opals

Advanced Functional Materials

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