Elephant trunk whiskers exhibit material intelligence
Scientists discover the secret behind the elephant’s sense of touch
Katherine Kuchenbecker (left) and Andrew Schulz (right) with a 3D-printed replica of an elephant's trunk hair, which helped the research team understand how a transition in material stiffness facilitates contact sensing in the tactile hairs of elephants and cats. © MPI-IS/W. Scheible Katherine Kuchenbecker (left) and Andrew Schulz (right) with a 3D-printed replica of an elephant's trunk hair, which helped the research team understand how a transition in material stiffness facilitates contact sensing in the tactile hairs of elephants and cats. © MPI-IS/W. Scheible
To the point
Sense of touch despite thick elephant skin: Researchers have discovered that the hairs on elephants' trunks are responsible for their extraordinary sense of touch.
Researchers have discovered that the hairs on elephants' trunks are responsible for their extraordinary sense of touch. Special material properties: Elephant sensory hairs have a stiff base and a soft tip, which enables them to precisely feel objects and recognize where contact is made. These properties are similar to the whiskers of cats and differ from the completely stiff sensory hairs of rats and mice.
Elephant sensory hairs have a stiff base and a soft tip, which enables them to precisely feel objects and recognize where contact is made. These properties are similar to the whiskers of cats and differ from the completely stiff sensory hairs of rats and mice. Interdisciplinary collaboration: The research team at the Department of Haptic Intelligence at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems was joined by researchers from the fields of neuroscience and materials science.
The research team at the Department of Haptic Intelligence at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems was joined by researchers from the fields of neuroscience and materials science. Applications in robotics: The findings will be used in the development of robot-assisted sensor technologies that mimic the stiffness gradient of elephant tactile hairs.
A new study from an interdisciplinary German research collaboration, led by the Haptic Intelligence Department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, reveals the secret to the gentle dexterity of the elephant trunk. The 1000 whiskers that cover the elephant trunk have unusual material properties that highlight where contact happens along each whisker, giving elephants an amazing sense of touch that compensates for their thick skin and poor eyesight.
Variable stiffness of a tactile hair
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