University of Tokyo and University of Zurich researchers have developed a robot that uses real mouse whiskers as sensors.

Each whisker is plugged directly into a capacitor microphone at the front of the robot. This capacitor can detect vibrations with acute sensitivity — up to 3 thousand vibrations per second (3 kiloHertz). The process imitates the way a real mouse uses its whiskers to sense, via the nerves in its nose.