Touch sensors like cat whiskers?

[o_lampe]

Hi folks,
the title says it all: there are many touch sensors out there, but they don’t trigger just_before the touch happens.
My cat lost a whisker these days and made me think if there’s a way to use it in robotics?
Like a motion-detection sensor but not based on gravity/acceleration.

Images of a very hairy robot-hand appear in my mind

[cbenson]

Sounds similar to this:

Lynxmotion BMP-01 Bumper Switch Assembly Kit

[o_lampe]

Just had an idea: Why not hack a barometric sensor ( from drone flightcontrollers) to sense gentle contact?
The cat whisker base is connected to the sensor opening by a hollow silicon-rubber socket. Any small contact to the whisker will introduce a pressure-pulse that triggers the sensor.