From the ACS Press Room
Camels’ Noses Inspire a New Humidity Sensor "A Camel Nose-Inspired Highly Durable is lined with water-absorbing mucus. To mimNeuromorphic Humidity Sensor with Water ic the high-surface-area structure within the Source Locating Capability nose, the team created a porous polymer network. On it, they placed moisture-attracting ACS Nano molecules called zwitterions to simulate the Camels have a renowned ability to survive property of mucus to change capacitance as on little water. They are also adept at finding humidity varies. In experiments, the device something to drink in the vast desert, using was durable and could monitor fluctuations in noses that are exquisite moisture detectors. humidity in hot industrial exhaust, find the In a new study in ACS Nano, researchers location of a water source and sense moisture describe a humidity sensor inspired by the emanating from the human body. Not only did structure and properties of camels’ noses. In the sensor respond to changes in a person’s experiments, they found this device could skin perspiration as they exercised, it detected reliably detect variations in humidity in set- the presence of a human finger and could tings that included industrial exhaust and the even follow its path in a V or L shape. This air surrounding human skin. sensitivity suggests that the device could become the baHumans sometimes need to determine the sis for a touchless interface presence of moisture in the air, but people through which someone aren’t quite as skilled as camels at sensing could communicate with a water with their noses. Instead, people must computer, according to the use devices to locate water in arid environresearchers. What’s ments, or to identify leaks or analyze exmore, the sensor’s haust in industrial facilities. However, curelectrical response to rently available sensors all have significant moisture can be tuned drawbacks. Some devices may be durable, or adjusted, much like for example, but have a low sensitivity to the signals sent out by the presence of water. Meanwhile, sunlight can interfere with some highly sensitive de- human neurons — potentially allowing it to tectors, making them difficult to use out- learn via artificial intelligence, they say. doors, for example. To devise a durable, in- The authors acknowledge funding from the telligent sensor that can detect even low lev- Fujian Science and Technology Innovation els of airborne water molecules, Weiguo Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of Huang, Jian Song, and their colleagues China, Fujian Institute of Research on the looked to camels’ noses. Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of SciNarrow, scroll-like passages within a cam- ences, the Natural Science Foundation of Fuel’s nose create a large surface area, which jian Province, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. February 2022
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