Scientist have been trying boost the efficiency of robots by trying to mimic living things for years now. We've seen robotic eyes; robots that swim like dolphins or fly like birds. In fact, scientists have even created artificial skins so that robots can "feel" objects and obstacles. We've also sent ants into space in an effort to design better robots that can explore or "forage" more efficiently. In a recent study, researchers have now managed to create artificial whiskers for robots.

In the animal world, whiskers or vibrissae, are hairs that can be used for tactile sensing. Animals such as cats or rodents can use their whiskers to supplement their other senses when hunting or scavenging for food. Scientists working on creating robotic whiskers are trying to emulate what natural whiskers can do. This type of engineering is referred to as biomimicry and it has resulted in the development of some highly effective robotic designs. The artificially constructed e-whiskers are so sensitive that they can detect even very slight movements in the air.

"Whiskers are hairlike tactile sensors used by certain mammals and insects to monitor wind and navigate around local obstacles," says the study. "Here, we demonstrate artificial electronic whiskers that can respond to pressures as low as 1 Pa with high sensitivity."

The artificial whiskers were designed and created by researchers from the Berkeley Lab and the University of California. The team used films of silver nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes to create highly sensitive tactile sensors that can be attached to robots to give them additional input about their surroundings.

"Systems consisting of whisker arrays are fabricated, and as a proof of concept, real-time two- and three-dimensional gas-flow mapping is demonstrated. The ultrahigh sensitivity and ease of fabrication of the demonstrated whiskers may enable a wide range of applications in advanced robotics and human-machine interfacing," the study read.

Aside from helping out terrestrial robots navigate their surroundings in situations where visual information may be scarce, the researchers say that the artificial whiskers can also be used on aquatic robots. Some fish also use whisker-like organs called barbels to sense vibrations in the water. Underwater robots equipped with e-whiskers can also use vibrational data to further enhance their underwater activities.

The study has been published on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.