Engineers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed a new electronic device that mimics the Venus flytrap’s intelligent prey-capture mechanism.
The researchers believe this new design paves the way for future biomimetic electronic devices. These devices could be used in various applications, such as robotics, prosthetics, and artificial intelligence.The research, led by Professor Shen Yajing, was inspired by the Venus flytrap’s unique ability to distinguish between different stimuli, such as raindrops and insects.
The LLM mimics this process by employing liquid metal wires in a sodium hydroxide solution as the conductive medium. To demonstrate the LLM’s capabilities, the researchers constructed an artificial Venus flytrap system incorporating the LLM, switch-based sensory hair, and soft electric actuator-based petals. This system successfully replicated the Venus flytrap’s predation process.The potential applications of the LLM are far-reaching, extending to functional circuit integration, filtering, artificial neural networks, and more.