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Internal mechanosensors, as the core component of a proprioceptive system, provide vital mechanical information from intelligent devices for adaptive motor control, mechanical fault diagnosis, and machining condition monitoring. However, developing a sophisticated mechanosensory structure that can be widely used is highly desirable to significantly improve the detection performance of internal mechanosensors. Coincidentally, in nature, optimized microscale slits of arachnids (e.g., scorpions and spiders) are ingeniously used as a mechanosensory structure for internal mechanosensilla to efficiently detect the inevitable internal mechanical feedbacks caused by self‐motion and external mechanical stimuli. Biological slit‐based mechano‐sensilla provide an attractive bio‐inspired strategy to use the controllable slit as the sensory structure to improve the perceptual performance of internal mechanosensors. In this study, the structure‐deformation‐performance coupling relationship of slit‐based mechano‐sensilla is explored through experiment and theoretical analysis. An artificial slit‐based mechanosensor is developed by mimicking the combined deformation properties of the slit and the ultrathin cuticular membrane covering the slit tail. This bio‐inspired mechanosensor shows excellent performance in terms of mechanical stability, response time, and sensitivity to mechanical signals. The research on a practical application highlights the importance of the unique basic "design" principles of the slit‐based mechano‐sensilla in improving the proprioceptive capability of smart engineering devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bionic engineering provides a promising way for promoting the development of science and technology. Next‐generation diversified mechanosensors that can efficiently sense four types of mechanical signals, including tactile, vibration, air/water flow, and sound, are also benefiting from the bioinspired approach. Natural organisms have evolved sophisticated biological mechanosensilla with excellent performance, such as ultrahigh sensitivity, resolution, stability, anti‐interference, and miniaturization, providing a great deal of inspiration for urgently needed mechanosensors that are difficult to achieve through conventional methods. Here, the recent advances in biological mechanosensilla and corresponding bioinspired mechanosensors are reviewed in detail. According to the classification of the mechanosensilla, i.e., tactile sensilla, vibrational sensilla, flow sensilla, and acoustic sensilla, this review is mainly divided into four parts. In each part, the research on functional mechanisms of the mechanosensilla based on well‐organized mechanosensory micro/nanostructures and unique functional materials, as well as the bionic design strategy and preparative technique of bioinspired mechanosensors are individually summarized and discussed. Meanwhile, insight into the further efforts in comprehensive understanding of the mechanosensilla, learning from the multiperformance integration of sensilla, and establishing the efficient preparation methods for bioinspired mechanosensors is provided, all of which are needed to be addressed urgently before having bioinspired mechanosensors of practical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]