ELWAVE develops solutions based on electrical sensory perception, known as “electric sense”, developed since 2007 by the biorobotics research group in Mines-Telecom Atlantique Institute.
The bio-inspiration
ELWAVE technology is inspired by the sensory mechanisms of tropical freshwater fish, such as African mormyrids and South American gymnotiforms. These fish have evolved electrical sensory perception to navigate, hunt, and communicate in environments where vision and sonar (acoustic communication and echolocation) are ineffective.
Electrical sensory perception works by detecting disturbances in the electric field generated by the fish. These fish emit a 360° electric field around their bodies, which is disrupted by obstacles, other fish, and predators in their environment. Electro-receptor cells embedded in their skin detect, measure, and analyze these disturbances, enabling them to create a real-time, three-dimensional image of their surroundings.
Electric sense: academic background
Since 2007, the LS2N biorobotics research center, jointly operated by ARMINES and the Mines-Telecom Atlantique Institute, has been developing command-and-control sensors and algorithms for underwater robots using this technology. These efforts are carried out in the framework of industrial contracts, projects funded by the French National Research Agency, and European initiatives such as FP7 Angels and H2020 Subcultron.
Electric sense systems operate based on the following principle:
Emission of an alternating current, low-frequency electric field (+ pole).
Measurement of changes in the intensity (I) of currents at each electrode (- poles).
Research has proven the effectiveness of electric sense technology across a range of applications in various environments, including seawater, freshwater, sediment, and even air.
Notably, it has been particularly successful in:
Assisted navigation for underwater robots.
Sediment analysis, such as detecting strata and buried objects.
Obstacle avoidance for industrial robots (cobotics).
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