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About

Miriam Fend is a pioneering researcher in biologically-inspired robotics, whose work has fundamentally advanced our understanding of tactile sensing through artificial whisker systems. Her primary research areas encompass biomimetic sensor design, active perception, and the role of morphology in robotic behavior and control. Fend's most significant contribution is the development of an active multi-whisker array modeled on the rat whisker system, which demonstrated that robots could perform sophisticated texture discrimination—a breakthrough that moved whisker sensors beyond simple obstacle avoidance into rich environmental interaction. Her landmark 2004 paper, "An active artificial whisker array for texture discrimination," has accumulated 72 citations, establishing the foundation for this field. In subsequent work, she showed that real mouse whiskers attached to capacitor microphones could detect extremely weak stimuli, and she explored how whisker morphology directly influences navigation and control strategies. With over 170 total citations across her key publications, Fend's research has been instrumental in demonstrating that tactile sensing, inspired by rodent biology, offers a powerful, adaptive sensory modality for robots operating in complex, unstructured environments.