Analogy of cochlea as resonator could lead to artificial copies

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This image shows the cochlea of a rabbit which is very similar to that of most mammals including humans. The three rows of outer hair cells could act like electrodes on a SAW resonator. Image Credit: Andrew Bell (originally from Counter et al.).
This image shows the cochlea of a rabbit, which is very similar to that of most mammals, including humans. The three rows of outer hair cells could act like electrodes on a SAW resonator. Image Credit: Andrew Bell (originally from Counter, et al.).

In attempting to construct an artificial cochlea—and faced with limited knowledge of how the living chamber works—scientists might need to look no further than a simple electronic device: a surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator. Recently, scientist Andrew Bell suggested that the cochlea exhibits similar structure and electromechanical properties to this common piece of circuitry.


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