Harbor seal whiskers could lead to improved sensors and more durable structures

Harbor seals’ ability to detect and track prey, even when deprived of sight and hearing, has inspired a body of research into their highly specialized whiskers’ sensory capabilities. While previous studies have explored the geometric aspects of harbor seal whiskers and their effects on forces and flow, the majority have not considered the vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) resulting from whisker interactions with surrounding fluid, which impact neural feedback at the whisker base.

Shan and Zhang examined the VIV of whisker models with different surface undulation amplitudes and wavelengths in uniform flow, as well as whisker VIV under various wake conditions produced by upstream cylinders of different shapes. Their findings not only provide additional insight into the hydrodynamic performance of biological systems, but also present new avenues for creating innovative engineering solutions.

“The unique hydrodynamic properties of harbor seal whiskers, particularly their ability to reduce drag and suppress vibrations, have inspired a range of biomimetic designs,” author Yang Zhang said. “For instance, in wind energy, turbine blades can be designed to mimic the whisker structure to improve energy capture while minimizing the vibrations that often reduce operational lifespan.”

The research could help to promote development of better artificial whisker sensors.

“These sensors could be used in a variety of applications, from underwater robotics and environmental monitoring to medical diagnostics, where precise flow and vibration detection are critical,” Zhang said.

Future studies could probe the importance of whisker flexibility and the extent to which whisker arrays increase range of signal detection and generate interactions between whiskers.

Source: “Effects of geometric and wake characteristics on vortex-induced vibrations of a seal-whisker cylinder,” by Longxiang Shan and Yang Zhang, Physics of Fluids (2025). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0244805 .