Ebook: Sensors and Sensing in Biology and Engineering

Biological sensors are usually remarkably small, sensitive and efficient. It is highly desirable to design corresponding artificial sensors for scientific, industrial and commercial purposes.This book is designed to fill an urgent need for interdisciplinary exchange between biologists studying sensors in the natural world and engineers and physical scientists developing artificial sensors. Contributions from leading scientists in this area, whether engineers or biologists, are written to be accessible to readers from these and other disciplines. The main topics cover mechanical sensors, visual sensors and vision and chemosensors. Readers will obtain a fuller understanding of the nature and performance of natural sensors as well as enhanced appreciation for the current status and the potential applicability of artificial microsensors. Friedrich G. Barth was awarded the "Karl-Ritter-von-Frisch-Medaille” at the 2003 Annual Conference of the German Zoological Society in Halle, Germany.

---

---

Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XII
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Sensors and Sensing: A Biologist’s View....Pages 3-15
Sensors and Sensing: An Engineer’s View....Pages 17-34
Front Matter....Pages 35-35
How Nature Designs Ears....Pages 37-47
How to Build a Microphone....Pages 49-57
The Middle and External Ears of Terrestrial Vertebrates as Mechanical and Acoustic Transducers....Pages 59-69
The Outer Hair Cell: A Mechanoelectrical and Electromechanical Sensor/Actuator....Pages 71-95
The Silicon Cochlea....Pages 97-107
Biologically-Inspired Microfabricated Force and Position Mechano-Sensors....Pages 109-125
The Physics of Arthropod Medium-Flow Sensitive Hairs: Biological Models for Artificial Sensors....Pages 129-144
Cricket Wind Receptors: Thermal Noise for the Highest Sensitivity Known....Pages 145-157
Arthropod Cuticular Hairs: Tactile Sensors and the Refinement of Stimulus Transformation....Pages 159-171
The Fish Lateral Line: How to Detect Hydrodynamic Stimuli....Pages 173-185
The Blood Vasculature as an Adaptive System: Role of Mechanical Sensing....Pages 187-196
Mechanism of Shear Stress-Induced Coronary Microvascular Dilation....Pages 197-212
A Possible Mechanism for Sensing Crop Canopy Ventilation....Pages 213-219
Front Matter....Pages 221-221
From Fly Vision to Robot Vision: Re-Construction as a Mode of Discovery....Pages 223-236
Locust’s Looming Detectors for Robot Sensors....Pages 237-250
Retina-Like Sensors: Motivations, Technology and Applications....Pages 251-262
Computing in Cortical Columns: Information Processing in Visual Cortex....Pages 263-273
Vision by Graph Pyramids....Pages 275-287
Front Matter....Pages 289-289
Mechanisms for Gradient Following....Pages 291-303
Representation of Odor Information in the Olfactory System: From Biology to an Artificial Nose....Pages 305-322
The External Aerodynamics of Canine Olfaction....Pages 323-335
Microcantilevers for Physical, Chemical, and Biological Sensing....Pages 337-355
Front Matter....Pages 357-357
Embedded Mechanical Sensors in Artificial and Biological Systems....Pages 359-378
Active Dressware: Wearable Kinesthetic Systems....Pages 379-392
Back Matter....Pages 393-404

---

Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XII
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Sensors and Sensing: A Biologist’s View....Pages 3-15
Sensors and Sensing: An Engineer’s View....Pages 17-34
Front Matter....Pages 35-35
How Nature Designs Ears....Pages 37-47
How to Build a Microphone....Pages 49-57
The Middle and External Ears of Terrestrial Vertebrates as Mechanical and Acoustic Transducers....Pages 59-69
The Outer Hair Cell: A Mechanoelectrical and Electromechanical Sensor/Actuator....Pages 71-95
The Silicon Cochlea....Pages 97-107
Biologically-Inspired Microfabricated Force and Position Mechano-Sensors....Pages 109-125
The Physics of Arthropod Medium-Flow Sensitive Hairs: Biological Models for Artificial Sensors....Pages 129-144
Cricket Wind Receptors: Thermal Noise for the Highest Sensitivity Known....Pages 145-157
Arthropod Cuticular Hairs: Tactile Sensors and the Refinement of Stimulus Transformation....Pages 159-171
The Fish Lateral Line: How to Detect Hydrodynamic Stimuli....Pages 173-185
The Blood Vasculature as an Adaptive System: Role of Mechanical Sensing....Pages 187-196
Mechanism of Shear Stress-Induced Coronary Microvascular Dilation....Pages 197-212
A Possible Mechanism for Sensing Crop Canopy Ventilation....Pages 213-219
Front Matter....Pages 221-221
From Fly Vision to Robot Vision: Re-Construction as a Mode of Discovery....Pages 223-236
Locust’s Looming Detectors for Robot Sensors....Pages 237-250
Retina-Like Sensors: Motivations, Technology and Applications....Pages 251-262
Computing in Cortical Columns: Information Processing in Visual Cortex....Pages 263-273
Vision by Graph Pyramids....Pages 275-287
Front Matter....Pages 289-289
Mechanisms for Gradient Following....Pages 291-303
Representation of Odor Information in the Olfactory System: From Biology to an Artificial Nose....Pages 305-322
The External Aerodynamics of Canine Olfaction....Pages 323-335
Microcantilevers for Physical, Chemical, and Biological Sensing....Pages 337-355
Front Matter....Pages 357-357
Embedded Mechanical Sensors in Artificial and Biological Systems....Pages 359-378
Active Dressware: Wearable Kinesthetic Systems....Pages 379-392
Back Matter....Pages 393-404
....