2022 Annual Report 2022 | Page 24

MICHAEL BARTLETT IS AWARDED A YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD FROM THE OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH

The horseshoe crab is often referred to as a “ living fossil ” because its evolution has been virtually stagnant for millions of years . Despite its lack of evolution over the long term , however , the crab has a unique sensory system with a network of multiple “ eyes ,” some of which are photoreceptors that distinguish between light and dark .
With funding from the Office of Naval Research , mechanical engineering Assistant Professor Michael Bartlett is putting a bio-inspired electronic version of that sensory system to work in a series of soft electronics to be worn by humans .
Bartlett received a 2021 Young Investigator Program award from the Office of Naval Research ’ s Littoral Geosciences and Optics program for his efforts to translate the physiology of underwater creatures into next-generation sensor technology .
Bartlett and his team in the Soft Materials and Structures Lab are intrigued by creatures like the horseshoe crab , octopus , and mantis shrimp because of the variety of natural sensors used by the animals . From the 10 “ eyes ” distributed across the shell on the horseshoe crab to the articulating compound eyes of the mantis shrimp , these organisms have the means to adapt their behavior based on a myriad information relayed to their brains about their environment .
“ These organisms see their world very differently , being able to take in multiple pieces of information to assess their environment ,” Bartlett said . “ This situational awareness is really remarkable and got us thinking about how we can design sensors to enhance awareness for humans .”
Bartlett ’ s approach applies the idea of an intricate cognitive system to a integrated electronic network . Inspired by the system through which a horseshoe crab ’ s movement is informed by its many eyes , the team will equip a wearable apparatus with miniaturized sensors that will process the environment in motion .
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