Concept design of strain sensors inspired by campaniform sensilla

This paper presents a bio-inspired approach for the future design of strain sensors to be embedded in space structures. Campaniform sensilla are natural strain sensors and are used by insects for monitoring deformations of their body. The strategy used in nature is to locally amplify, through arrays of elliptical micro-holes, mechanical deformations. The authors focused their research on campaniform sensilla because of their simplicity and straightforward potential implementation in engineering systems. In this paper, the biological concept and structural analysis, performed to understand underlying principles, are presented and discussed.