Researchers say "spidey senses" could help autonomous vehicles avoid hazards



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As the researchers explain, one of the reasons why nature is able to process data so quickly is that objects such as spiders, bats and birds do not have to deal with all the data, but only the information necessary for survival. For example, when a prey lands on a spider's web, the hairs of the spider's legs vibrate at a specific frequency and stimulate the mechanosensors. But when the dust falls on the Web, the mechanosensors do not respond to the frequency of this vibration. Researchers are therefore working on the development of sensors that react in the same way, by selectively processing the information, which would reduce the data load.

The sensors could go further. According to Purdue, the sensors on the legs of spiders are able to switch between detection and response to stimuli, or between the mechanosensor function and that of mechanoreceptors. "There is no distinction between hardware and software in nature, everything is interconnected," said Andres Arrieta, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue. "A sensor is designed to interpret the data, as well as to collect and filter it." Researchers design their spider-inspired sensors to do the same.

The sensors that they develop change shape when they are activated by an external force reaching a predetermined threshold. The changing shape allows the conductive particles to come closer, so that electricity can pass through the sensor and transmit a signal. This signal then indicates how the autonomous system should react. In doing so, not only do the sensors detect and filter at a fast pace, but they also calculate without power supply. If the team succeeds in developing and deploying such sensors, they could potentially help autonomous drones navigate dangerous environments and autonomous cars to avoid hazards on the road.

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