Elevating fiber optics with biomimetic cilia for micro-contact sensing and multifunctional recognition

Inspired by the microstructures found in animal cilia, we have developed, to our knowledge, a novel micro-contact force sensing unit utilizing a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) as the fundamental platform. Employing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the biomimetic material, we have fabricated cilia-like structures onto the grating substrate. These structures enable precise detection of micro-contact forces through induced shifts in the gratings’ wavelength. This integration leads to a comprehensive micro-sensing system, combining fiber optic Bragg gratings and biomimetic cilia, facilitating precise micro-contact force measurements. Additionally, our system showcases versatile functionalities including Morse code input and Braille recognition, underscoring its multifunctional utility, thus heralding new frontiers in applications such as intelligent AI recognition, assistance for the visually impaired, and meticulous surface analysis.