Robot behaviour (bottom) modeled after that of acockroach (top) and agecko (middle)
Bionics orbiologically inspired engineering is the application of biological methods and systems found innature to the study and design ofengineering systems and moderntechnology.[1]
According to proponents of bionic technology, thetransfer of technology between lifeforms and manufactured objects is desirable because evolutionary pressure typically forces living organisms—fauna and flora—to become optimized and efficient. For example, dirt- and water-repellent paint (coating) was inspired by the hydrophobic properties of thelotus flower plant (thelotus effect).[3]
The term "biomimetic" is preferred for references to chemical reactions, such as reactions that, in nature, involve biologicalmacromolecules (e.g., enzymes or nucleic acids) whose chemistry can be replicatedin vitro using much smaller molecules.[4]
Examples of bionics in engineering include the hulls of boats imitating the thick skin of dolphins orsonar,radar, and medicalultrasound imaging imitatinganimal echolocation.
A 2006 research article estimated that "at present there is only a 12% overlap betweenbiology and technology in terms of the mechanisms used".[6][clarification needed]
The name "biomimetics" was coined byOtto Schmitt in the 1950s. The term "bionics" was later introduced byJack E. Steele in August 1958 while working at theAeronautics Division House atWright-Patterson Air Force Base inDayton, Ohio.[7] However, terms like biomimicry or biomimetics are preferred in order to avoid confusion with the medical term "bionics." Coincidentally,Martin Caidin used the word for his 1972 novelCyborg, which was adapted into the television film and subsequent seriesThe Six Million Dollar Man. Caidin was a long-time aviation industry writer before turning to fiction full-time.
Velcro was inspired by the tiny hooks found on the surface ofburs.
The study of bionics often emphasizes implementing a function found in nature rather than imitating biological structures. For example, in computer science,cybernetics models the feedback and control mechanisms that are inherent in intelligent behavior, whileartificial intelligence models the intelligent function regardless of the particular way it can be achieved.
The conscious copying of examples and mechanisms from natural organisms and ecologies is a form of appliedcase-based reasoning, treating nature itself as a database of solutions that already work. Proponents argue that theselective pressure placed on allnatural life forms minimizes and removes failures.
Although almost allengineering could be said to be a form ofbiomimicry, the modern origins of this field are usually attributed toBuckminster Fuller and its later codification as a house or field of study toJanine Benyus.
There are generally three biological levels in the fauna or flora after which technology can be modeled:
Inrobotics, bionics and biomimetics are used to apply the way animals move to the design of robots.BionicKangaroo was based on the movements and physiology of kangaroos.
Velcro is the most famous example of biomimetics. In 1948, theSwiss engineerGeorge de Mestral was cleaning his dog of burrs picked up on a walk when he realized how the hooks of theburrs clung to the fur.
The horn-shaped, saw-tooth design forlumberjack blades used at the turn of the 19th century to cut down trees when it was still done by hand was modeled after observations of a wood-burrowingbeetle. The blades were significantly more efficient and thus revolutionized the timber industry.
Cat's eye reflectors were invented byPercy Shaw in 1935 after studying the mechanism of cat eyes. He had found that cats had a system of reflecting cells, known astapetum lucidum, which was capable of reflecting the tiniest bit of light.
Leonardo da Vinci's flying machines and ships are early examples of drawing from nature in engineering.
Resilin is a replacement for rubber that has been created by studying the material also found in arthropods.
Julian Vincent drew from the study ofpinecones when he developed in 2004 "smart" clothing that adapts to changing temperatures. "I wanted a nonlivingsystem which would respond to changes in moisture by changing shape," he said. "There are several such systems in plants, but most are very small—the pinecone is the largest and therefore the easiest to work on." Pinecones respond to higher humidity by opening their scales (to disperse their seeds). The "smart" fabric does the same thing, opening up when the wearer is warm and sweating and shutting tight when cold.
"Morphing aircraft wings" that change shape according to the speed and duration of flight were designed in 2004 by biomimetic scientists fromPenn State University. The morphing wings were inspired by different bird species that have differently shaped wings according to the speed at which they fly. In order to change the shape and underlying structure of the aircraft wings, the researchers needed to make the overlying skin also be able to change, which their design does by covering the wings with fish-inspired scales that could slide over each other. In some respects this is a refinement of theswing-wing design.
Some paints and roof tiles have been engineered to be self-cleaning by copying the mechanism from theNelumbo lotus.[8]
Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) are the thin-film material often used to fabricate fish tank thermometers ormood rings that change color with temperature changes. They change color because their molecules are arranged in ahelical orchiral arrangement and with temperature the pitch of that helical structure changes, reflecting differentwavelengths of light. Chiral Photonics, Inc. has abstracted the self-assembled structure of the organic CLCs to produce analogous optical devices using tiny lengths of inorganic, twistedglass fiber.[9]
The wing structure of the bluemorpho butterfly was studied and the way it reflects light was mimicked to create anRFID tag that can be read through water and on metal.[11]
The wing structure of butterflies has also inspired the creation of new nanosensors to detect explosives.[12]
Techno Ecosystems or 'Eco Cyborg' systems involve the coupling of natural ecological processes to technological ones which mimic ecological functions. This results in the creation of a self-regulating hybrid system.[13] Research into this field was initiated byHoward T. Odum,[14] who perceived the structure andenergy dynamics of ecosystems as being analogous to energy flow between components of an electrical circuit.
Medical adhesives involving glue and tiny nano-hairs are being developed based on the physical structures found in the feet of geckos.
Computer viruses also show similarities with biological viruses, attacking program-oriented information towards self-reproduction and dissemination.
Adhesive which allowsmussels to stick to rocks, piers, and boat hulls inspired bioadhesive gel forblood vessels.[15]
The field of bionics has inspired new aircraft designs which offer greater agility along with other advantages. This has been described by Geoff Spedding, Måns Rosén, and Anders Hedenström in an article inJournal of Experimental Biology.[16] Similar statements were also made by John Videler and Eize Stamhuis in their bookAvian Flight,[17] and in the article they present inScience about LEVs.[18] This research in bionics may also be used to create more efficient helicopters or miniatureUAVs, as stated by Bret Tobalske in an article inScience aboutHummingbirds.[19]UC Berkeley as well asESA have been working in a similar direction and created theRobofly[20] (a miniature UAV) and theEntomopter (a UAV which can walk, crawl and fly).[21]
A bio-inspired mechanical device can generate plasma in water via cavitation using the morphological accurate snapping shrimp claw. This was described in detail by Xin Tang and David Staack in an article published inScience Advances.[22]
Bionics refers to the flow of concepts frombiology toengineering and vice versa. Hence, there are two slightly different points of view regarding the meaning of the word.
In medicine,bionics means the replacement or enhancement oforgans or other body parts by mechanical versions. Bionic implants differ from mereprostheses by mimicking the original function very closely, or even surpassing it.
The German equivalent of bionics,Bionik, always adheres to the broader meaning, in that it tries to develop engineering solutions from biological models. This approach is motivated by the fact that biological solutions will usually be optimized byevolutionary forces.
While the technologies that make bionic implants possible are developing gradually, a few successful bionic devices already exist, a well known one being the Australian-invented multi-channelcochlear implant (bionic ear), a device fordeaf people. Since the bionic ear, many bionic devices have emerged and work is progressing on bionics solutions for other sensory disorders (e.g. vision and balance). Bionic research has recently provided treatments for medical problems such as neurological and psychiatric conditions, for exampleParkinson's disease andepilepsy.[23]
By 2004 fully functionalartificial hearts were developed. Significant progress is expected with the advent ofnanotechnology. A well-known example of a proposed nanodevice is arespirocyte, an artificial red cell designed (though not yet built) byRobert Freitas.
In 2007 the Scottish companyTouch Bionics launched the first commercially available bionic hand, named "i-Limb Hand". According to the firm, by May 2010 it has been fitted to more than 1,200 patients worldwide.[25]
During his eight years in the Department of Bioengineering at theUniversity of Pennsylvania,Kwabena Boahen developed asiliconretina that was able to process images in the same manner as a living retina. He confirmed the results by comparing the electrical signals from his silicon retina to the electrical signals produced by asalamander eye while the two retinas were looking at the same image.
On July 21, 2015, theBBC's medical correspondentFergus Walsh reported, "surgeons in Manchester have performed the first bionic eye implant in a patient with the most common cause of sight loss in the developed world. Ray Flynn, 80, has dry age-relatedmacular degeneration which has led to the total loss of his central vision. He is using a retinal implant that converts video images from a miniature video camera worn on his glasses. He can now make out the direction of white lines on a computer screen using the retinal implant." The implant, known as theArgus II and manufactured in the US by the companySecond Sight Medical Products, had been used previously in patients who were blind as the result of the rare inherited degenerative eye diseaseretinitis pigmentosa.[26]
In 2016,Tilly Lockey (born October 7, 2005) was fitted with a pair of bionic "Hero Arms" manufactured byOpenBionics, a UK bionics enterprise. The Hero Arm is a lightweight myoelectric prosthesis for below-elbow amputee adults and children aged eight and above. Tilly Lockey, who at 15 months had both her arms amputated after being diagnosed withmeningococcal sepsis strain B, describes the Hero Arms as "really realistic, to the point where it was quite creepy how realistic they were."[27]
On February 17, 2020, Darren Fuller, a military veteran, became the first person to receive a bionic arm under a public healthcare system.[28] Fuller lost the lower section of his right arm while serving term inAfghanistan during an incident that involved mortar ammunition in 2008.
Business biomimetics is the latest development in the application of biomimetics. Specifically it applies principles and practice from biological systems to business strategy, process, organization design, and strategic thinking. It has been successfully used by a range of industries inFMCG, defense, central government, packaging, and business services. Based on the work by Phil Richardson at theUniversity of Bath[29] the approach was launched at theHouse of Lords in May 2009.
Generally, biometrics is used as acreativity technique that studiesbiological prototypes to get ideas for engineering solutions.
Another, more recent meaning of the term bionics refers to merging organism and machine. This approach results in a hybrid system combining biological and engineering parts, which can also be referred as a cybernetic organism (cyborg). Practical realization of this was demonstrated inKevin Warwick's implant experiments bringing aboutultrasound input via his own nervous system.
Bionics and Engineering: The Relevance of Biology to Engineering, presented at Society of Women Engineers Convention, Seattle, WA, 1983, Jill E. Steele
Bionics: Nature as a Model. 1993. PRO FUTURA Verlag GmbH, München, Umweltstiftung WWF Deutschland
Lipov A.N. "At the origins of modern bionics. Bio-morphological formation in an artificial environment"Polygnosis. No. 1–2. 2010. Ch. 1–2. pp. 126–136.
Lipov A.N. "At the origins of modern bionics. Bio-morphological formation in an artificial environment."Polygnosis. No. 3. 2010. Part 3. pр. 80–91.
