Spider-inspired sensor detects heartbeats, reads speech

New York: A sensor that puts spider sense to good use has been invented by South Korean researchers. The sensor can recognise the faintest vibration, simple words and monitor heartbeats.

Spiders sense movements through an organ called "slit sensilla" in the joints of their legs.

By copying the design of this organ, Mansoo Choi from Seoul National University in Korea and his colleagues created the wearable and flexible sensor.

With a platinum film on top of a soft polymer, with cracks in it, the "nanoscale crack sensor" stretches or compresses, when it feels vibrations. These movements change the resistance of an electrical circuit.

"By attaching the sensor to a violin, the team was able to convert vibration from the strings into digital recordings. A tiny ladybird (insect) flapping its wings was detected," the researchers said.

Worn by people around their necks, the device recognised simple words from computer games, like "go," "jump," "shoot" and "stop."

On the the wrist, the sensor detected heartbeats through blood vessels, the team said.

The research was published in the journal Nature.