Engineered Biomimicry

Engineered Biomimicry covers a broad range of research topics in the emerging discipline of biomimicry. Biologically inspired science and technology, using the principles of math and physics, has led to the development of products as ubiquitous as VelcroTM (modeled after the spiny hooks on plant seeds and fruits). Readers will learn to take ideas and concepts like this from nature, implement them in research, and understand and explain diverse phenomena and their related functions. From bioinspired computing and medical products to biomimetic applications like artificial muscles, MEMS, textiles and vision sensors, Engineered Biomimicry explores a wide range of technologies informed by living natural systems. Engineered Biomimicry helps physicists, engineers and material scientists seek solutions in nature to the most pressing technical problems of our times, while providing a solid understanding of the important role of biophysics. Some physical applications include adhesion superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning, structural coloration, photonic devices, biomaterials and composite materials, sensor systems, robotics and locomotion, and ultra-lightweight structures. Explores biomimicry, a fast-growing, cross-disciplinary field in which researchers study biological activities in nature to make critical advancements in science and engineering Introduces bioinspiration, biomimetics, and bioreplication, and provides biological background and practical applications for each Cutting-edge topics include bio-inspired robotics, microflyers, surface modification and more

In a sense, the archetype of bioinspiration for materials design and use is textiles. The field of biomimesis has spawned many new materials and continues to be a fruitful field of investigation. This chapter presents the current state of bioinspiration in textiles, how this has resulted in improved fibrous materials, how it may inform our continued progress. Because I have found many preconceived notions about the field that need addressing before the application of biomimetics to textiles can be truly appreciated, I begin with an introduction to textiles. Next, naturally enough, the discipline of biomimesis is introduced and then fleshed out in terms of its textile engineering importance. Following this, some details on fiber and textile science and engineering are discussed and biological concepts germane to our topic are presented. In the last step in this journey, the marriage of biomimesis and textiles is performed and some consequences revealed. Finally, I offer some prognostications on the topic.

Some basic features of biomimetic robotics and the technologies that are facilitating their development are discussed in this chapter. The emergence of smart materials and structures, smart sensors and actuators capable of mimicking biological transducers, bio-inspired signal-processing techniques, modeling and control of manipulators resembling biological limbs, and the shape control of flexible systems are the primary areas in which recent technological advances have taken place. Some key applications of these technological developments in the design of morphing airfoils, modeling and control of anthropomorphic manipulators and muscle activation modeling, and control for human limb prosthetic and orthotic applications are discussed. Also discussed, with some typical examples, are the related developments in the application of nonlinear optimal control and estimation, which are fundamental to the success of biomimetic robotics.

Structural colors originate in the scattering of light from ordered microstructures, thin films, and even irregular arrays of electrically small particles, but they are not produced by pigments. Examples include the flashing sparks of colors in opals and the brilliant hues of some butterflies such as Morpho rhetenor. Structural colors can be implemented industrially to produce structurally colored paints, fabrics, cosmetics, and sensors.

Materials such as bone, teeth, and seashells possess remarkable combinations of properties despite the poor structural quality of their ingredients (brittle minerals and soft proteins). Nacre from mollusk shells is 3,000 times tougher than the brittle mineral it is made of, a level of toughness amplification currently unmatched by any engineering material. For this reason, nacre has become the model for bio-inspiration for novel structural materials. The structure of nacre is organized over several length scales, but the microscopic brick-and-mortar arrangement of the mineral tablets is prominent. This staggered structure provides a universal approach to arranging hard building blocks in nature and is also found in bone and teeth. Recent models have demonstrated how an attractive combination of stiffness, strength, and toughness can be achieved through the staggered structure. The fabrication of engineering materials that duplicate the structure, mechanics, and properties of natural nacre still present formidable challenges to this day.

This chapter is focused on vision sensors based on both mammalian and insect vision systems. Typically, the former uses a single large-aperture lens system and a large, high-resolution focal plane array; the latter uses many small-aperture lenses, each coupled to a small group of photodetectors. The strengths and weaknesses of each type of design are discussed, along with some guidelines for designing such sensors. A brief review of basic optical engineering, including simple diffraction theory and mathematical tools such as Fourier optics, is followed by a demonstration of how to match an optical system to some collection of photodetectors. Modeling and simulations performed with tools such as Zemax and MATLAB® are described for better understanding of both optical and neural aspects of biological vision systems and how they may be adapted to an artificial vision sensor. A biomimetic vision system based on the common housefly, Musca domestica, is discussed.

The fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) scaffold architectures that closely approximate or effectively mimic native tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential for regenerative success. In tissue engineering, native differentiable cells are incorporated into 3D scaffolds along with growth factors and other proteins. Materials used for the 3D scaffold construction must be biocompatible and bioresorbable to minimize adverse reactions during tissue regeneration. A 3D architecture is created by utilizing materials with specific surface properties, porosity, mechanical strength, etc., to improve desired cell activity and enhance tissue growth. Ideal 3D scaffolds should also not only have hierarchical macroporous structures comparable to those of living tissue, but they should also have surface features on the nanometer scale to improve cell adhesion and accelerate cell in growth.

Self-organization and self-healing appeal to humans because difficult and repeated actions can be avoided through automation via bottom-up nonhierarchical processes. This is in contrast to the top-level controlled manner we normally apply as an action strategy in manufacturing and maintenance work. This chapter presents eight different self-organizing and self-healing approaches in nature and takes a look at realized and potential applications. Furthermore, the core principles for each approach are described using simplified drawings in order to make the ideas behind the self-organizing and self-healing principles more accessible to design practitioners.