Active Antenna

This paper proposes a new active sensor system (Active Antenna) which is motivated by the antenna of an insect. Insects use their antennae skilfully so that they can avoid hitting objects, while they are crawling, running, and even when they are staying still. The antenna can be characterized by its “flexibility” and “active motions”. Based on the observations on insect´s antenna, we propose a new active sensor system which consists of only four components, an insensitive flexible beam, a position sensor, a torque sensor and an actuator. We will show that this simple sensor system can locate any contact point between the insensitive flexible beam and an object by applying an active motion to the beam. We will also show that this sensor system enables us to detect the shape of this object when it is mounted on the front part of a mobile robot. Finally, we have designed and developed an active sensor system based on our idea and have verified the working principle by experiments