Underwater sensor hears like the fishes.

A team at the Georgia Institute of Technology has developed an underwater acoustic sensor that improves upon earlier hydrophones by more accurately assessing the direction from which a sound emanates. Inspired by the inner-ear anatomy of fish, in which tiny hairs move in response to sound waves, the sensor features two plates attached by a hinge. One plate is fixed in position, and the other, which is made of a composite material that matches the density of water, is free to move. The movement of the second plate alters a signal in an optical fiber, which the researchers analyze using a photodetector.

Supported by a grant from the Office of Naval Research, the work may help the Navy reduce the length of the sensor arrays...

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