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Zhao C, Zhang S, Xie T, Zeng L. A novel whisker sensor with variable detection range for object positioning. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2022; 93:035007. [PMID: 35365026 DOI: 10.1063/5.0080873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The design of a whisker sensor, inspired by mammalian whisker characteristics, is presented in this paper. It uses a novel spring structure to transfer the deformation generated by the whisker tip when it touches an object at the base, which drives the permanent magnet installed at the base to change its position. It achieves precise positioning of the object by using the magnetic induction intensity data output from the Hall sensor MLX90393. Based on the results of the finite element model analysis, the detection range of the whisker sensor can be expanded by replacing the artificial whisker material and selecting a permanent magnet of a suitable size. Calibration experiments and positioning tests were conducted on the sensor. The experimental results showed that the detection radius of the sensor was 24, 30, 33, and 39 mm for the carbon fiber, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic (ABS), and nylon whiskers, respectively, when they were matched with a NdFeB annular permanent magnet with an aperture of 3 mm and a thickness of 3 mm. The sensor is small and simple to manufacture with good sensitivity, linearity, hysteresis, and repeatability. The maximum positioning errors of the X and Y positions in the detection plane of the sensor were within ±1.3 mm, and the positioning was accurate. The sensor can be used to identify the shape of an object.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chonglin Zhao
- Faculty of Information Engineering and Automation, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Shouming Zhang
- Faculty of Information Engineering and Automation, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Tao Xie
- Faculty of Civil Aviation and Aeronautics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Lu Zeng
- Faculty of Information Engineering and Automation, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
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Jiang Y, Li J, Wang Z, Qin Y, Guo G, Zheng Z, Bian Y. Design and fabrication of an E-whisker using a PVDF ring. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2021; 16:036007. [PMID: 33530062 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/abe27a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian whiskers can perceive obstacles and airflows. In this study, an electronic whisker (E-whisker) sensor was designed and fabricated by setting a PVDF ring with symmetrical electrodes on the root of a fiber beam. Vibration displacements with different waveforms were applied at the free end of the E-whisker beam to study the relationship between the vibration displacements and the output signals. The E-whisker protrusion sensing ability was investigated by driving it to sweep through the surface of a base platform. A static E-whisker beam and a swinging E-whisker were then separately placed in a wind tunnel to detect the airflow perception of the sensor. The experimental results suggested that the E-whisker could sense the frequencies and amplitudes of displacements at its free end, the height and width of a platform or the heights of other irregular protrusions; the static E-whisker could sense the magnitude or direction of an impact airflow, while the swinging E-whisker could sense the magnitude of a constant airflow. Thus, this kind of E-whisker could perceive the environment and airflow through touch sensation and could be used as a physical model to study the principles and abilities of animal whiskers to perceive obstacles and airflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yani Jiang
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, People's Republic of China
| | - Jialing Li
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi Wang
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongbin Qin
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangming Guo
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, People's Republic of China
| | - Zaixiang Zheng
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, People's Republic of China
| | - Yixiang Bian
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, People's Republic of China
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van der Bourg A, Yang JW, Reyes-Puerta V, Laurenczy B, Wieckhorst M, Stüttgen MC, Luhmann HJ, Helmchen F. Layer-Specific Refinement of Sensory Coding in Developing Mouse Barrel Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:4835-4850. [PMID: 27620976 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent rhythmic whisking behavior matures during a critical period around 2 weeks after birth. The functional adaptations of neocortical circuitry during this developmental period remain poorly understood. Here, we characterized stimulus-evoked neuronal activity across all layers of mouse barrel cortex before, during, and after the onset of whisking behavior. Employing multi-electrode recordings and 2-photon calcium imaging in anesthetized mice, we tested responses to rostro-caudal whisker deflections, axial "tapping" stimuli, and their combination from postnatal day 10 (P10) to P28. Within this period, whisker-evoked activity of neurons displayed a general decrease in layer 2/3 (L2/3) and L4, but increased in L5 and L6. Distinct alterations in neuronal response adaptation during the 2-s period of stimulation at ~5 Hz accompanied these changes. Moreover, single-unit analysis revealed that response selectivity in favor of either lateral deflection or axial tapping emerges in deeper layers within the critical period around P14. For superficial layers we confirmed this finding using calcium imaging of L2/3 neurons, which also exhibited emergence of response selectivity as well as progressive sparsification and decorrelation of evoked responses around P14. Our results demonstrate layer-specific development of sensory responsiveness and response selectivity in mouse somatosensory cortex coinciding with the onset of exploratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander van der Bourg
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jenq-Wei Yang
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Vicente Reyes-Puerta
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Balazs Laurenczy
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Wieckhorst
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maik C Stüttgen
- Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Heiko J Luhmann
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Bio-Inspired PVDF-Based, Mouse Whisker Mimicking, Tactile Sensor. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/app6100297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianli Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Training Department, China Maritime Police Academy, Ningbo 315801, China
| | - Lizhan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xuedong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xiaoqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
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Schroeder CL, Hartmann MJZ. Sensory prediction on a whiskered robot: a tactile analogy to "optical flow". Front Neurorobot 2012; 6:9. [PMID: 23097641 PMCID: PMC3477675 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2012.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2012] [Accepted: 07/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
When an animal moves an array of sensors (e.g., the hand, the eye) through the environment, spatial and temporal gradients of sensory data are related by the velocity of the moving sensory array. In vision, the relationship between spatial and temporal brightness gradients is quantified in the “optical flow” equation. In the present work, we suggest an analog to optical flow for the rodent vibrissal (whisker) array, in which the perceptual intensity that “flows” over the array is bending moment. Changes in bending moment are directly related to radial object distance, defined as the distance between the base of a whisker and the point of contact with the object. Using both simulations and a 1×5 array (row) of artificial whiskers, we demonstrate that local object curvature can be estimated based on differences in radial distance across the array. We then develop two algorithms, both based on tactile flow, to predict the future contact points that will be obtained as the whisker array translates along the object. The translation of the robotic whisker array represents the rat's head velocity. The first algorithm uses a calculation of the local object slope, while the second uses a calculation of the local object curvature. Both algorithms successfully predict future contact points for simple surfaces. The algorithm based on curvature was found to more accurately predict future contact points as surfaces became more irregular. We quantify the inter-related effects of whisker spacing and the object's spatial frequencies, and examine the issues that arise in the presence of real-world noise, friction, and slip.
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Hartmann MJZ. Active touch, exploratory movements, and sensory prediction. Integr Comp Biol 2009; 49:681-90. [PMID: 21665850 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icp107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The relation between somatosensory input and motor output is asymmetric. Somatosensation is associated with every movement an animal makes, but movement is not required for somatosensation. This symposium paper proposes a classification scheme for movement, in which movements are placed along a continuum that describes the role that somatosensory information plays during the movement. Fine sensorimotor control-manipulation and exploration-are found to fall to one extreme of the spectrum, and exploratory movements in particular are shown to possess characteristics that clearly distinguish them from other varieties of movement. Specifically, the exploratory process must permit animals to extract an object's features independently of the sequence of movements executed to explore the object. Based in part on our work on the rat vibrissal system, we suggest that exploration of objects may consist of two complementary levels of sensorimotor prediction operating in parallel. At the cognitive level, the animal might move so as to perform hypothesis testing about the identity or nature of the object. The particular hypothesis tests chosen by the animal might be implemented through sequences of control-level predictions that could be generated at the level of the brainstem and cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitra J Z Hartmann
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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Stüttgen MC, Kullmann S, Schwarz C. Responses of Rat Trigeminal Ganglion Neurons to Longitudinal Whisker Stimulation. J Neurophysiol 2008; 100:1879-84. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.90511.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Responses of rat trigeminal ganglion neurons to longitudinal whisker stimulation. Rats use their mobile set of whiskers to actively explore their environment. Parameters that play a role to generate movement dynamics of the whisker shaft within the follicle, thus activating primary afferents, are manifold: among them are mechanical properties of the whiskers (curvature, elasticity and taper), active movements (head, body, and whiskers), and finally, object characteristics (surface, geometry, position, and orientation). Hence the whisker system is confronted with forces along all three axes in space. Movements along the two latitudinal axes of the whisker (horizontal and vertical) have been well studied. Here we focus on movement along the whisker's longitudinal axis that has been neglected so far. We employed ramp-and-hold movements that pushed the whisker shaft toward the skin and quantified the resulting activity in trigeminal first-order afferents in anesthetized rats. Virtually all recorded neurons were highly sensitive to longitudinal movement. Neurons could be perfectly segregated into two groups according to their modulation by stimulus amplitude and velocity, respectively. This classification regimen correlated perfectly with the presence or absence of slowly adapting responses in longitudinal stimulation but agreed with classification derived from latitudinal stimulation only if the whisker was engaged in its optimal direction and set point. We conclude that longitudinal stimulation is an extremely effective means to activate the tactile pathway and thus is highly likely to play an important role in tactile coding on the ascending somatosensory pathway. In addition, compared with latitudinal stimulation, it provides a reliable and easy to use method to classify trigeminal first-order afferents.
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Towal RB, Hartmann MJZ. Variability in Velocity Profiles During Free-Air Whisking Behavior of Unrestrained Rats. J Neurophysiol 2008; 100:740-52. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.01295.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During exploratory behaviors, the velocity of an organism's sensory surfaces can have a pronounced effect on the incoming flow of sensory information. In this study, we quantified variability in the velocity profiles of rat whisking during natural exploratory behavior that included head rotations. A wide continuum of profiles was observed, including monotonic, delayed, and reversing velocities during protractions and retractions. Three alternative hypotheses for the function of the variable velocity profiles were tested: 1) that they produce bilateral asymmetry specifically correlated with rotational head velocity, 2) that they serve to generate bilaterally asymmetric and/or asynchronous whisker movements independent of head velocity, and 3) that the different profiles—despite increasing variability in instantaneous velocity—reduce variability in the average whisking velocity. Our results favor the third hypothesis and do not support the first two. Specifically, the velocity variability within a whisk can be observed as a shift in the phase of the maximum velocity. We discuss the implications of these results for the control of whisker motion, horizontal object localization, and processing in the thalamus and cortex of the rat vibrissal system.
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