Mimicking nature - from science fiction to engineering reality
Humans have always looked to nature's inventions as a source of inspiration. The observation of flying birds and insects leads to innovations in aeronautics. Collision avoidance sensors mimic the whiskers of rodents. Optimization algorithms are based on survival of the fittest, the seed-picking process of pigeons, or the behavior of ant colonies. In recent years these efforts have become more intensive, with researchers seeking rules, concepts, and principles of biology to inspire new possibilities in materials, mechanisms, algorithms, and fabrication processes. A review of the current state of the art, Biomimetics: Nature Based Innovation documents key biological solutions that provide a model for innovations in engineering and science.
Leading experts address a wide range of topics, including:
- Artificial senses and organs
- Mimicry at the cell-materials interface
- Multiscale modeling of plant cell wall architecture and tissue mechanics
- The making of biomimetic composites
- Electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators as artificial muscles
- EAP-based refreshable braille displays
- Biomimetic optics from the angles of biology and plants
- Biomimicry of flying birds, insects, and marine biology
- Applications of biomimetics in manufacturing, products, and medicine
- Robotics, including the development of human-like robots
- Biologically inspired design as a tool for interdisciplinary education
- The biomimetic process in artistic creation
The final chapter outlines the challenges to biomimetic-related innovation and offers a vision for the future.
A follow-up to Biomimetics: Biologically Inspired Technologies (2005), this comprehensive reference methodically surveys the latest advances in this rapidly emerging field. It features an abundance of illustrations, including a 32-page full-color insert, and provides extensive references for engineers and scientists interested in delving deeper into the study of biomimetics.
About the Author: Dr. Yoseph Bar-Cohen is the Supervisor of the Electroactive Technologies Group at JPL, as well as a Senior Scientist there. He has (co) edited 10 books, co-authored over 390 publications, co-chaired 50 conferences, and has 36 registered patents. His books and other publications cover such topics as humanlike robots, biomimetics, nondestructive evaluation using ultrasonics and robotics and materials, etc. Business Week named him in 2003 as one of the five technology gurus who are Pushing Tech's Boundaries. He is a NASA Fellow and Honors Award Winner, has two SPIE Lifetime Achievement Awards, and is the recipient of JPL's prestigious Magellan Award and many other honors and awards.
