Bats use tiny hairs on their wings to sense the direction and speed of air flow. Researchers found that removing these hairs caused bats to fly faster and make wider turns, likely because the bat believed it was on the verge of stalling and losing lift. Engineers are considering whether artificial versions made of flexible polymers that respond to strain could provide improved stall sensing on fixed-wing aircraft. # (Photo credit: justynk)
Stall-Sensing Hairs
