Innovations in Bio-Inspired Flow Sensors for Improved Robotic Perception and Navigation

The field of bio-inspired flexible flow sensors is rapidly evolving, offering innovative solutions for enhancing the navigation capabilities of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and other robotic systems. These sensors mimic the natural mechanosensory systems found in various creatures, enabling robots to detect and interpret flow field information, which is crucial for intelligent navigation in environments where visual cues are limited or absent. Recent advancements have seen the development of flexible sensors that can decode aerodynamic and hydrodynamic information, such as a quadcopter equipped with a sensory system inspired by mosquitoes for collision avoidance and dual-sensor fusion modalities for locating near-field dipole sources. Despite these advancements, several challenges remain, including the need for improved sensing performance in terms of sensitivity, stability, and uniformity, as well as enhanced integration capabilities involving multiple sensing modalities, wireless electronics, embedded artificial intelligence algorithms, and terminal display platforms. Addressing these gaps is essential for the practical application of these technologies in diverse environments.

This Research Topic aims to facilitate the development and application of bio-inspired flexible flow sensors and sensing technologies to achieve intelligent navigation for robots. The primary objectives include summarizing current progress in the field and fostering collaboration among biomimetic engineers, biologists, material scientists, sensor specialists, and roboticists. Specific questions to be addressed include how to improve the sensitivity and robustness of these sensors, how to integrate multiple sensing modalities effectively, and how to develop intelligent algorithms for decoding flow field information. Hypotheses to be tested may involve the effectiveness of new materials and designs in enhancing sensor performance and the potential for these sensors to operate reliably in various environmental conditions.

To gather further insights into the boundaries of bio-inspired flexible flow sensors and their applications, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Functional materials in bio-inspired flexible flow sensors
- Flow sensing technologies for improved perception
- Biomimetic flow sensing strategies
- Bio-inspired flexible flow sensor development
- Hydrodynamics/aerodynamics monitoring
- Intelligent decoding of flow fields

By exploring these themes, we aim to advance the state of knowledge in this field and overcome the existing challenges, paving the way for more effective and practical applications of flexible flow sensors in robotic navigation.

Keywords: soft sensors, flow field perception, artificial intelligence, robotics, functional materials, hydrodynamics/aerodynamics/hemodynamics monitoring, intelligent life

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.