Material requirements for bio-inspired sensing systems

Science.gov (United States)

Biggins, Peter; Lloyd, Peter; Salmond, David; Kusterbeck, Anne

2008-10-01

The aim of developing bio-inspired sensing systems is to try and emulate the amazing sensitivity and specificity observed in the natural world. These capabilities have evolved, often for specific tasks, which provide the organism with an advantage in its fight to survive and prosper. Capabilities cover a wide range of sensing functions including vision, temperature, hearing, touch, taste and smell. For some functions, the capabilities of natural systems are still greater than that achieved by traditional engineering solutions; a good example being a dog's sense of smell. Furthermore, attempting to emulate aspects of biological optics, processing and guidance may lead to more simple and effective devices. A bio-inspired sensing system is much more than the sensory mechanism. A system will need to collect samples, especially if pathogens or chemicals are of interest. Other functions could include the provision of power, surfaces and receptors, structure, locomotion and control. In fact it is possible to conceive of a complete bio-inspired system concept which is likely to be radically different from more conventional approaches. This concept will be described and individual component technologies considered.

Creating a Bio-Inspired Solution to Prevent Erosion

Science.gov (United States)

Reher, R.; Martinez, A.; Cola, J.; Frost, D.

2016-12-01

Through the study of geophysical sciences, lessons can be developed which allow for the introduction of bio-inspired design and art concepts to K-5 elementary students. Students are placed into an engineering mindset in which they must apply the concepts of bio-geotechnics to observe how we can use nature to prevent and abate erosion. Problems are staged for students using realistic engineering scenarios such as erosion prevention through biomimicry and the study of anchorage characteristics of root structures in regard to stability of soil. Specifically, a lesson is introduced where students research, learn, and present information about bio-inspired designs to understand these concepts. They lean how plant roots differ in size and shape to stabilize soil. In addition, students perform a series of hands-on experiments which demonstrate how bio-cements and roots can slow erosion.

Introducing Students to Bio-Inspiration and Biomimetic Design: A Workshop Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Santulli, Carlo; Langella, Carla

2011-01-01

In recent years, bio-inspired approach to design has gained considerable interest between designers, engineers and end-users. However, there are difficulties in introducing bio-inspiration concepts in the university curriculum in that they involve multi-disciplinary work, which can only possibly be successfully delivered by a team with integrated…

Erosion resistance of pipe bends with bio-inspired internal surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chengchun; Matar, Omar

2013-11-01

Guided by the structure of a shell surface, a bio-inspired surface is proposed to enhance the erosion resistance of pipe bends carrying crude-oil and sand in the turbulent flow regime. A comparison of the erosion rate between a smooth bend and the bio-inspired one is carried out using numerical simulations: large eddy simulations are used to simulate turbulence, and these are coupled to a discrete element method for the solid particles. The results indicate that the bio-inspired surface can control effectively the liquid-solid flow near the wall, and decrease the particle-wall force. This, then, leads to a reduction in the erosion rate brought about by the sand transported by the crude-oil in the pipe bend. The China Scholarship Council is gratefully acknowledged.

Bio-inspired polymeric patterns with enhanced wear durability for microsystem applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, R. Arvind; Siyuan, L.; Satyanarayana, N.; Kustandi, T.S.; Sinha, Sujeet K.

2011-01-01

At micro/nano-scale, friction force dominates at the interface between bodies moving in relative motion and severely affects their smooth operation. This effect limits the performance of microsystem devices such as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). In addition, friction force also leads to material removal or wear and thereby reduces the durability i.e. the useful operating life of the devices. In this work, we fabricated bio-inspired polymeric patterns for tribological applications. Inspired by the surface features on lotus leaves namely, the protuberances and wax, SU-8 polymeric films spin-coated on silicon wafers were topographically and chemically modified. For topographical modification, micro-scale patterns were fabricated using nanoimprint lithography and for chemical modification, the micro-patterns were coated with perfluoropolyether nanolubricant. Tribological investigation of the bio-inspired patterns revealed that the friction coefficients reduced significantly and the wear durability increased by several orders. In order to enhance the wear durability much further, the micro-patterns were exposed to argon/oxygen plasma and were subsequently coated with the perfluoropolyether nanolubricant. Bio-inspired patterns with enhanced wear durability, such as the ones investigated in the current work, have potential tribological applications in MEMS/Bio-MEMS actuator-based devices. Highlights: →Bio-inspired polymeric patterns for tribological applications in microsystems. →Novel surface modification for the patterns to enhance tribological properties. →Patterns show low friction properties and extremely high wear durability.

Crickets as bio-inspiration for MEMS-based flow-sensing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.; Droogendijk, H.; Dagamseh, A.M.K.; Jaganatharaja, R.K.; Casas, Jerome

2014-01-01

MEMS offers exciting possibilities for the fabrication of bio-inspired mechanosensors. Over the last few years, we have been working on cricket- inspired hair-sensor arrays for spatio-temporal flow-field observations (i.e. flow camera) and source localisation. Whereas making flow-sensors as energy

Bio-inspired Autonomic Structures: a middleware for Telecommunications Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Manzalini, Antonio; Minerva, Roberto; Moiso, Corrado

Today, people are making use of several devices for communications, for accessing multi-media content services, for data/information retrieving, for processing, computing, etc.: examples are laptops, PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras, mp3 players, smart cards and smart appliances. One of the most attracting service scenarios for future Telecommunications and Internet is the one where people will be able to browse any object in the environment they live: communications, sensing and processing of data and services will be highly pervasive. In this vision, people, machines, artifacts and the surrounding space will create a kind of computational environment and, at the same time, the interfaces to the network resources. A challenging technological issue will be interconnection and management of heterogeneous systems and a huge amount of small devices tied together in networks of networks. Moreover, future network and service infrastructures should be able to provide Users and Application Developers (at different levels, e.g., residential Users but also SMEs, LEs, ASPs/Web2.0 Service roviders, ISPs, Content Providers, etc.) with the most appropriate "environment" according to their context and specific needs. Operators must be ready to manage such level of complication enabling their latforms with technological advanced allowing network and services self-supervision and self-adaptation capabilities. Autonomic software solutions, enhanced with innovative bio-inspired mechanisms and algorithms, are promising areas of long term research to face such challenges. This chapter proposes a bio-inspired autonomic middleware capable of leveraging the assets of the underlying network infrastructure whilst, at the same time, supporting the development of future Telecommunications and Internet Ecosystems.

Bio-Inspired Autonomous Communications Systems with Anomaly Detection Monitoring, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We propose to develop and demonstrate BioComm, a bio-inspired autonomous communications system (ACS) aimed at dynamically reconfiguring and redeploying autonomous...

Bio-inspired approach for intelligent unattended ground sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Hueber, Nicolas; Raymond, Pierre; Hennequin, Christophe; Pichler, Alexander; Perrot, Maxime; Voisin, Philippe; Moeglin, Jean-Pierre

2015-05-01

Improving the surveillance capacity over wide zones requires a set of smart battery-powered Unattended Ground Sensors capable of issuing an alarm to a decision-making center. Only high-level information has to be sent when a relevant suspicious situation occurs. In this paper we propose an innovative bio-inspired approach that mimics the human bi-modal vision mechanism and the parallel processing ability of the human brain. The designed prototype exploits two levels of analysis: a low-level panoramic motion analysis, the peripheral vision, and a high-level event-focused analysis, the foveal vision. By tracking moving objects and fusing multiple criteria (size, speed, trajectory, etc.), the peripheral vision module acts as a fast relevant event detector. The foveal vision module focuses on the detected events to extract more detailed features (texture, color, shape, etc.) in order to improve the recognition efficiency. The implemented recognition core is able to acquire human knowledge and to classify in real-time a huge amount of heterogeneous data thanks to its natively parallel hardware structure. This UGS prototype validates our system approach under laboratory tests. The peripheral analysis module demonstrates a low false alarm rate whereas the foveal vision correctly focuses on the detected events. A parallel FPGA implementation of the recognition core succeeds in fulfilling the embedded application requirements. These results are paving the way of future reconfigurable virtual field agents. By locally processing the data and sending only high-level information, their energy requirements and electromagnetic signature are optimized. Moreover, the embedded Artificial Intelligence core enables these bio-inspired systems to recognize and learn new significant events. By duplicating human expertise in potentially hazardous places, our miniature visual event detector will allow early warning and contribute to better human decision making.

7th International Conference on Bio-Inspired Computing : Theories and Applications

CERN Document Server

Singh, Pramod; Deep, Kusum; Pant, Millie; Nagar, Atulya

2013-01-01

The book is a collection of high quality peer reviewed research papers presented in Seventh International Conference on Bio-Inspired Computing (BIC-TA 2012) held at ABV-IIITM Gwalior, India. These research papers provide the latest developments in the broad area of "Computational Intelligence". The book discusses wide variety of industrial, engineering and scientific applications of nature/bio-inspired computing and presents invited papers from the inventors/originators of novel computational techniques.

Autonomic networking-on-chip bio-inspired specification, development, and verification

CERN Document Server

Cong-Vinh, Phan

2011-01-01

Despite the growing mainstream importance and unique advantages of autonomic networking-on-chip (ANoC) technology, Autonomic Networking-On-Chip: Bio-Inspired Specification, Development, and Verification is among the first books to evaluate research results on formalizing this emerging NoC paradigm, which was inspired by the human nervous system. The FIRST Book to Assess Research Results, Opportunities, & Trends in ""BioChipNets"" The third book in the Embedded Multi-Core Systems series from CRC Press, this is an advanced technical guide and reference composed of contributions from prominent re

Methodology for Designing and Developing a New Ultra-Wideband Antenna Based on Bio-Inspired Optimization Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-01

on Bio -Inspired Optimization Techniques by Canh Ly, Nghia Tran, and Ozlem Kilic Approved for public release; distribution is...Research Laboratory Methodology for Designing and Developing a New Ultra-Wideband Antenna Based on Bio -Inspired Optimization Techniques by...SUBTITLE Methodology for Designing and Developing a New Ultra-Wideband Antenna Based on Bio -Inspired Optimization Techniques 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER

3D Printing of Bio-inspired surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Méndez Ribó, Macarena; Islam, Aminul

The ability of the gecko to scurry across smooth or rough surfaces, regardless of inclination (vertical or even upside down), has been traced to the multiscale hierarchical structures of the gecko toe [1 - 3]. Considering all the strategies to manufacture bio-inspired surfaces, the most common is...

Microneedle, bio-microneedle and bio-inspired microneedle: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Guojun; Wu, Chengwei

2017-04-10

Microneedles (MNs) are micro-scale needles used for drug delivery and other targets. Micro-scale size endows them with many advantages over hypodermic needles, including painlessness, minimal invasiveness and convenient operation, but it may also lead to risk of mechanical failures, which should be prevented in the clinical applications of MNs. The objective of this review is mainly to introduce studies on the mechanics problems with respect to MNs. Firstly, the basic knowledge of MNs is introduced in brief, so that readers can understand the basic characteristics of MNs. Secondly, researches on inserting behavior and mechanical performances of MNs are discussed. Thirdly, literatures on the drug delivery and the pain resulted from the insertion of MNs are overviewed. Finally, some bio-microneedles and bio-inspired MNs are introduced. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Switchable bio-inspired adhesives

Science.gov (United States)

Kroner, Elmar

2015-03-01

Geckos have astonishing climbing abilities. They can adhere to almost any surface and can run on walls and even stick to ceilings. The extraordinary adhesion performance is caused by a combination of a complex surface pattern on their toes and the biomechanics of its movement. These biological dry adhesives have been intensely investigated during recent years because of the unique combination of adhesive properties. They provide high adhesion, allow for easy detachment, can be removed residue-free, and have self-cleaning properties. Many aspects have been successfully mimicked, leading to artificial, bio-inspired, patterned dry adhesives, and were addressed and in some aspects they even outperform the adhesion capabilities of geckos. However, designing artificial patterned adhesion systems with switchable adhesion remains a big challenge; the gecko's adhesion system is based on a complex hierarchical surface structure and on advanced biomechanics, which are both difficult to mimic. In this paper, two approaches are presented to achieve switchable adhesion. The first approach is based on a patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer, where adhesion can be switched on and off by applying a low and a high compressive preload. The switch in adhesion is caused by a reversible mechanical instability of the adhesive silicone structures. The second approach is based on a composite material consisting of a Nickel- Titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy and a patterned adhesive PDMS layer. The NiTi alloy is trained to change its surface topography as a function of temperature, which results in a change of the contact area and of alignment of the adhesive pattern towards a substrate, leading to switchable adhesion. These examples show that the unique properties of bio-inspired adhesives can be greatly improved by new concepts such as mechanical instability or by the use of active materials which react to external stimuli.

Bio-Inspired Sustainability Assessment for Building Product Development—Concept and Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Horn

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Technological advancement culminating in a globalized economy has brought tremendous improvements for mankind in manifold respects but comes at the cost of alienation from nature. Human activities nowadays are unsustainable and cause severe damage especially in terms of global depletion and destabilization of natural systems but also harm its own social resources. In this paper, a sustainability assessment method is developed based on a bio-inspired sustainability framework that has been developed in the project TRR 141-C01 “The biomimetic promise.” It is aims at regaining the advantages of societal embeddedness in its environment through biological inspiration. The method is developed using a structured approach including requirement specification, description of the inventory models on bio-inspiration and sustainability assessment, creation of a bio-inspired sustainability assessment model and its validation. It is defined as an accompanying assessment for decision support, using a six-fold two-dimensional structure of social, economic and environmental functions and burdens. The method is applied and validated in 6 projects of TRR 141 and its applicability is exemplarily shown by the assessment of “Bio-flexi”, a biobased and biodegradable natural fiber reinforced plastic composite for indoor cladding applications. Based on the findings of the application the assessment method itself is proposed to be advanced towards an adaptive structure and a consequent outlook is provided.

A Bio-Inspired QoS-Oriented Handover Model in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daxin Tian

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We propose a bio-inspired model for making handover decision in heterogeneous wireless networks. It is based on an extended attractor selection model, which is biologically inspired by the self-adaptability and robustness of cellular response to the changes in dynamic environments. The goal of the proposed model is to guarantee multiple terminals’ satisfaction by meeting the QoS requirements of those terminals’ applications, and this model also attempts to ensure the fairness of network resources allocation, in the meanwhile, to enable the QoS-oriented handover decision adaptive to dynamic wireless environments. Some numerical simulations are preformed to validate our proposed bio-inspired model in terms of adaptive attractor selection in different noisy environments. And the results of some other simulations prove that the proposed handover scheme can adapt terminals’ network selection to the varying wireless environment and benefits the QoS of multiple terminal applications simultaneously and automatically. Furthermore, the comparative analysis also shows that the bio-inspired model outperforms the utility function based handover decision scheme in terms of ensuring a better QoS satisfaction and a better fairness of network resources allocation in dynamic heterogeneous wireless networks.

Spontaneous water filtration of bio-inspired membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kiwoong; Kim, Hyejeong; Lee, Sang Joon

2016-11-01

Water is one of the most important elements for plants, because it is essential for various metabolic activities. Thus, water management systems of vascular plants, such as water collection and water filtration have been optimized through a long history. In this view point, bio-inspired technologies can be developed by mimicking the nature's strategies for the survival of the fittest. However, most of the underlying biophysical features of the optimized water management systems remain unsolved In this study, the biophysical characteristics of water filtration phenomena in the roots of mangrove are experimentally investigated. To understand water-filtration features of the mangrove, the morphological structures of its roots are analyzed. The electrokinetic properties of the root surface are also examined. Based on the quantitatively analyzed information, filtration of sodium ions in the roots are visualized. Motivated by this mechanism, spontaneous desalination mechanism in the root of mangrove is proposed by combining the electrokinetics and hydrodynamic transportation of ions. This study would be helpful for understanding the water-filtration mechanism of the roots of mangrove and developing a new bio-inspired desalination technology. This research was financially supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea (Contract Grant Number: 2008-0061991).

Compressive Sensing Based Bio-Inspired Shape Feature Detection CMOS Imager

Science.gov (United States)

Duong, Tuan A. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A CMOS imager integrated circuit using compressive sensing and bio-inspired detection is presented which integrates novel functions and algorithms within a novel hardware architecture enabling efficient on-chip implementation.

Touchable Computing: Computing-Inspired Bio-Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yifan; Shi, Shaolong; Yao, Xin; Nakano, Tadashi

2017-12-01

We propose a new computing-inspired bio-detection framework called touchable computing (TouchComp). Under the rubric of TouchComp, the best solution is the cancer to be detected, the parameter space is the tissue region at high risk of malignancy, and the agents are the nanorobots loaded with contrast medium molecules for tracking purpose. Subsequently, the cancer detection procedure (CDP) can be interpreted from the computational optimization perspective: a population of externally steerable agents (i.e., nanorobots) locate the optimal solution (i.e., cancer) by moving through the parameter space (i.e., tissue under screening), whose landscape (i.e., a prescribed feature of tissue environment) may be altered by these agents but the location of the best solution remains unchanged. One can then infer the landscape by observing the movement of agents by applying the "seeing-is-sensing" principle. The term "touchable" emphasizes the framework's similarity to controlling by touching the screen with a finger, where the external field for controlling and tracking acts as the finger. Given this analogy, we aim to answer the following profound question: can we look to the fertile field of computational optimization algorithms for solutions to achieve effective cancer detection that are fast, accurate, and robust? Along this line of thought, we consider the classical particle swarm optimization (PSO) as an example and propose the PSO-inspired CDP, which differs from the standard PSO by taking into account realistic in vivo propagation and controlling of nanorobots. Finally, we present comprehensive numerical examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of the PSO-inspired CDP for different blood flow velocity profiles caused by tumor-induced angiogenesis. The proposed TouchComp bio-detection framework may be regarded as one form of natural computing that employs natural materials to compute.

Bio Inspired Algorithms in Single and Multiobjective Reliability Optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Henrik; Albeanu, Grigore; Burtschy, Bernard

2014-01-01

Non-traditional search and optimization methods based on natural phenomena have been proposed recently in order to avoid local or unstable behavior when run towards an optimum state. This paper describes the principles of bio inspired algorithms and reports on Migration Algorithms and Bees...

Biomimicry as an approach for bio-inspired structure with the aid of compu

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moheb Sabry Aziz

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Biomimicry is the study of emulating and mimicking nature, where it has been used by designers to help in solving human problems. From centuries ago designers and architects looked at nature as a huge source of inspiration. Biomimicry argues that nature is the best, most influencing and the guaranteed source of innovation for the designers as a result of nature’s 3.85 billion years of evolution, as it holds a gigantic experience of solving problems of the environment and its inhabitants. The biomimicry emerging field deals with new technologies honed from bio-inspired engineering at the micro and macro scale levels. Architects have been searching for answers from nature to their complex questions about different kinds of structures, and they have mimicked a lot of forms from nature to create better and more efficient structures for different architectural purposes. Without computers these complex ways and forms of structures couldn’t been mimicked and thus using computers had risen the way of mimicking and taking inspiration from nature because it is considered a very sophisticated and accurate tool for simulation and computing, as a result designers can imitate different nature’s models in spite of its complexity.

Bio-Inspired Design Approach Analysis: A Case Study of Antoni Gaudi and Santiago Calatrava

OpenAIRE

Marzieh Imani

2017-01-01

Antoni Gaudi and Santiago Calatrava have reputation for designing bio-inspired creative and technical buildings. Even though they have followed different independent approaches towards design, the source of bio-inspiration seems to be common. Taking a closer look at their projects reveals that Calatrava has been influenced by Gaudi in terms of interpreting nature and applying natural principles into the design process. This research firstly discusses the dialogue between Biomimicry and archit...

Optic flow estimation on trajectories generated by bio-inspired closed-loop flight.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoemaker, Patrick A; Hyslop, Andrew M; Humbert, J Sean

2011-05-01

We generated panoramic imagery by simulating a fly-like robot carrying an imaging sensor, moving in free flight through a virtual arena bounded by walls, and containing obstructions. Flight was conducted under closed-loop control by a bio-inspired algorithm for visual guidance with feedback signals corresponding to the true optic flow that would be induced on an imager (computed by known kinematics and position of the robot relative to the environment). The robot had dynamics representative of a housefly-sized organism, although simplified to two-degree-of-freedom flight to generate uniaxial (azimuthal) optic flow on the retina in the plane of travel. Surfaces in the environment contained images of natural and man-made scenes that were captured by the moving sensor. Two bio-inspired motion detection algorithms and two computational optic flow estimation algorithms were applied to sequences of image data, and their performance as optic flow estimators was evaluated by estimating the mutual information between outputs and true optic flow in an equatorial section of the visual field. Mutual information for individual estimators at particular locations within the visual field was surprisingly low (less than 1 bit in all cases) and considerably poorer for the bio-inspired algorithms that the man-made computational algorithms. However, mutual information between weighted sums of these signals and comparable sums of the true optic flow showed significant increases for the bio-inspired algorithms, whereas such improvement did not occur for the computational algorithms. Such summation is representative of the spatial integration performed by wide-field motion-sensitive neurons in the third optic ganglia of flies.

A bio-inspired apposition compound eye machine vision sensor system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, J D; Barrett, S F; Wright, C H G; Wilcox, M

2009-01-01

The Wyoming Information, Signal Processing, and Robotics Laboratory is developing a wide variety of bio-inspired vision sensors. We are interested in exploring the vision system of various insects and adapting some of their features toward the development of specialized vision sensors. We do not attempt to supplant traditional digital imaging techniques but rather develop sensor systems tailor made for the application at hand. We envision that many applications may require a hybrid approach using conventional digital imaging techniques enhanced with bio-inspired analogue sensors. In this specific project, we investigated the apposition compound eye and its characteristics commonly found in diurnal insects and certain species of arthropods. We developed and characterized an array of apposition compound eye-type sensors and tested them on an autonomous robotic vehicle. The robot exhibits the ability to follow a pre-defined target and avoid specified obstacles using a simple control algorithm.

Supporting STEM Teachers to Inspire through Everyday Innovation

Science.gov (United States)

Bienkowski, Marie; Shechtman, Nicole; Remold, Julie; Knudsen, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Science teachers inspire in part by their constant adaptation to the learning needs of their students and to evolving content, curriculum, technology, and student populations. Innovation--bringing novel things to a situation to confer a benefit--is an integral part of teaching overall, and in especially inspired science teaching. While innovation…

Bio-inspired fuel cells for miniaturized body-area-networks applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xu, Wei; Gao, Lu; Danilov, Dmitri; Pop, V.; Notten, Peter

2010-01-01

The improvement in quality of modern health-care is closely related to the need for medical autonomous systems that enable people to ‘carry’ their personal wireless Body-Area-Network (BAN). Bio-inspired fuel cells (BFC) are a promising approach of energy harvesting to achieve autonomy and

Bio-inspired hydrophobic modification of cellulose nanocrystals with castor oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Qianqian; Liu, Chengguo; Hu, Yun; Jia, Puyou; Hu, Lihong; Zhou, Yonghong

2018-07-01

This work presents an efficient and environmentally friendly approach to generate hydrophobic cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) using thiol-containing castor oil (CO-SH) as a renewable hydrophobe with the assist of bio-inspired dopamine at room temperature. The modification process included the formation of the polydopamine (PDA) buffer layer on CNC surfaces and the Michael addition reaction between the catechol moieties of PDA coating and thiol groups of CO-SH. The morphology, crystalline structure, surface chemistry, thermal stability and hydrophobicity of the modified CNC were charactered by TEM, XRD, FT-IR, solid-state 13 C NMR, XPS, TGA and contact angle analysis. The modified CNC preserved cellulose crystallinity, displayed higher thermal stability than unmodified CNC, and was highly hydrophobic with a water contact angle of 95.6°. The simplicity and versatility of the surface modification strategy inspired by adhesive protein of mussel may promote rapid development of hydrophobic bio-based nanomaterials for various applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of quercetin and its bio-inspired nanoparticles as anti-adhesive agents against Bacillus subtilis attachment to surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raie, Diana S., E-mail: raiediana@yahoo.com [Process Design and Development Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI), Nasr City, Cairo (Egypt); Mhatre, Eisha [Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU), Jena (Germany); Thiele, Matthias [Nanobiophotonic Department, Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology Jena (IPHT), Jena (Germany); Labena, A. [Process Design and Development Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI), Nasr City, Cairo (Egypt); El-Ghannam, Gamal [National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES), Cairo University, Giza (Egypt); Farahat, Laila A. [Process Design and Development Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI), Nasr City, Cairo (Egypt); Youssef, Tareq [National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES), Cairo University, Giza (Egypt); Fritzsche, Wolfgang [Nanobiophotonic Department, Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology Jena (IPHT), Jena (Germany); Kovács, Ákos T., E-mail: akos-tibor.kovacs@uni-jena.de [Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU), Jena (Germany)

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was directed to reveal the repulsive effect of coated glass slides by quercetin and its bio-inspired titanium oxide and tungsten oxide nanoparticles on physical surface attachment of Bacillus subtilis as an ab-initio step of biofilm formation. Nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using sol–gel and acid precipitation methods for titanium oxide and tungsten oxide, respectively (in the absence or presence of quercetin). The anti-adhesive impact of the coated-slides was tested through the physical attachment of B. subtilis after 24 h using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). Here, quercetin was presented as a bio-route for the synthesis of tungsten mixed oxides nano-plates at room temperature. In addition, quercetin had an impact on zeta potential and adsorption capacity of both bio-inspired amorphous titanium oxide and tungsten oxide nano-plates. Interestingly, our experiments indicated a contrary effect of quercetin as an anti-adhesive agent than previously reported. However, its bio-inspired metal oxide proved their repulsive efficiency. In addition, quercetin-mediated nano-tungsten and quercetin-mediated amorphous titanium showed anti-adhesive activity against B. subtilis biofilm. - Highlights: • Novel quercetin-mediated nanoparticles were tested for anti-adhesion against attachment of cells forming biofilms. • Quercetin showed a low-grade of protection level against bacterial attachment. • Bio-inspired nano-anatase showed a lower efficiency than amorphous titanium. • Thermally treated bio-inspired nano-tungsten gets an improved anti-adhesive activity.

Bio-Inspired Cyber Security for Smart Grid Deployments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McKinnon, Archibald D.; Thompson, Seth R.; Doroshchuk, Ruslan A.; Fink, Glenn A.; Fulp, Errin W.

2013-05-01

mart grid technologies are transforming the electric power grid into a grid with bi-directional flows of both power and information. Operating millions of new smart meters and smart appliances will significantly impact electric distribution systems resulting in greater efficiency. However, the scale of the grid and the new types of information transmitted will potentially introduce several security risks that cannot be addressed by traditional, centralized security techniques. We propose a new bio-inspired cyber security approach. Social insects, such as ants and bees, have developed complex-adaptive systems that emerge from the collective application of simple, light-weight behaviors. The Digital Ants framework is a bio-inspired framework that uses mobile light-weight agents. Sensors within the framework use digital pheromones to communicate with each other and to alert each other of possible cyber security issues. All communication and coordination is both localized and decentralized thereby allowing the framework to scale across the large numbers of devices that will exist in the smart grid. Furthermore, the sensors are light-weight and therefore suitable for implementation on devices with limited computational resources. This paper will provide a brief overview of the Digital Ants framework and then present results from test bed-based demonstrations that show that Digital Ants can identify a cyber attack scenario against smart meter deployments.

Enabling Bio-Innovation for Poverty Alleviation in Asia | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

At first glance, Asia seems to have all the organizations, skills, policies and facilities essential for bio-innovation. However, these are not generally put to the service of the millions of poor who lack access to technology. This project aims to stimulate research on bio-innovation for poverty alleviation, sustainable employment ...

Electrochemical construction of a bio-inspired micro/nano-textured structure with cell-sized microhole arrays on biomedical titanium to enhance bioactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Jianhe; Song, Ran; Huang, Qiaoling; Yang, Yun; Lin, Longxiang; Zhang, Yanmei; Jiang, Pinliang; Duan, Hongping; Dong, Xiang; Lin, Changjian

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The bio-inspired structure mimicked mulit-level structures of natural bone. • Ordered cell-sized microhole arrays were employed as microscale structure. • High surface roughness and superhydrophilicity were achieved on the titanium surface. • The bio-inspired titanium surface showed superior ability of biomineralization. • Cell responses were enhanced on the bio-inspired micro/nano-texutred surface. - Abstract: Biomimetic surface design of medical implants is vitally crucial to improve cellular responses and the integration of tissue onto materials. In this study, a novel hierarchical cell-sized microhole array combined with a nano-network structure was fabricated on a medical titanium surface to mimic multi-level bone structure. A three-step procedure was developed as follows: 1) electrochemical self-organization of etching on titanium substrate to create highly ordered cell-sized microhole arrays, 2) suitable dual acid etching to increase the roughness of the microholes, and then 3) electrochemical anodization in a NaOH electrolyte to construct a nano-network porous titania layer on the above micro-roughened surface. The bio-inspired micro/nano-textured structure presented the enhanced wettability and superhydrophilicity. The ability of in vitro biomineralization and corrosion resistance of the bio-inspired micro/nano-textured structure were enhanced after annealing treatment. More importantly, the bio-inspired micro/nano-textured structure on the titanium surface possessed a favourable interfacial environment to enhance attachment and proliferation of human osteoblast-like MG63 cells. All of the results demonstrated that such a bio-inspired surface of micro/nano-textured porous TiO 2 is a most promising candidate for the next generation of titanium implants

Innovative Didactics in an International Internship - inspiration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lembcke, Steen; Skibsted, Else Bengaard; Mølgaard, Niels

An inspiration handbook for the international team from the teacher education programme in VIA. Aimed to assist internship supervisors and students during international internships in regards to innovation, social entrepreneurship and development of the international teacher. Introduces why and how...

A Review on Development and Applications of Bio-Inspired Superhydrophobic Textiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ishaq Ahmad

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Bio-inspired engineering has been envisioned in a wide array of applications. All living bodies on Earth, including animals and plants, have well organized functional systems developed by nature. These naturally designed functional systems inspire scientists and engineers worldwide to mimic the system for practical applications by human beings. Researchers in the academic world and industries have been trying, for hundreds of years, to demonstrate how these natural phenomena could be translated into the real world to save lives, money and time. One of the most fascinating natural phenomena is the resistance of living bodies to contamination by dust and other pollutants, thus termed as self-cleaning phenomenon. This phenomenon has been observed in many plants, animals and insects and is termed as the Lotus Effect. With advancement in research and technology, attention has been given to the exploration of the underlying mechanisms of water repellency and self-cleaning. As a result, various concepts have been developed including Young’s equation, and Wenzel and Cassie–Baxter theories. The more we unravel this process, the more we get access to its implications and applications. A similar pursuit is emphasized in this review to explain the fundamental principles, mechanisms, past experimental approaches and ongoing research in the development of bio-inspired superhydrophobic textiles.

A Review on Development and Applications of Bio-Inspired Superhydrophobic Textiles

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Ishaq; Kan, Chi-wai

2016-01-01

Bio-inspired engineering has been envisioned in a wide array of applications. All living bodies on Earth, including animals and plants, have well organized functional systems developed by nature. These naturally designed functional systems inspire scientists and engineers worldwide to mimic the system for practical applications by human beings. Researchers in the academic world and industries have been trying, for hundreds of years, to demonstrate how these natural phenomena could be translated into the real world to save lives, money and time. One of the most fascinating natural phenomena is the resistance of living bodies to contamination by dust and other pollutants, thus termed as self-cleaning phenomenon. This phenomenon has been observed in many plants, animals and insects and is termed as the Lotus Effect. With advancement in research and technology, attention has been given to the exploration of the underlying mechanisms of water repellency and self-cleaning. As a result, various concepts have been developed including Young’s equation, and Wenzel and Cassie–Baxter theories. The more we unravel this process, the more we get access to its implications and applications. A similar pursuit is emphasized in this review to explain the fundamental principles, mechanisms, past experimental approaches and ongoing research in the development of bio-inspired superhydrophobic textiles. PMID:28774012

Molecular machines with bio-inspired mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Liang; Marcos, Vanesa; Leigh, David A

2018-02-26

The widespread use of molecular-level motion in key natural processes suggests that great rewards could come from bridging the gap between the present generation of synthetic molecular machines-which by and large function as switches-and the machines of the macroscopic world, which utilize the synchronized behavior of integrated components to perform more sophisticated tasks than is possible with any individual switch. Should we try to make molecular machines of greater complexity by trying to mimic machines from the macroscopic world or instead apply unfamiliar (and no doubt have to discover or invent currently unknown) mechanisms utilized by biological machines? Here we try to answer that question by exploring some of the advances made to date using bio-inspired machine mechanisms.

Bio-Inspired Optimization of Sustainable Energy Systems: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Jun Zheng

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Sustainable energy development always involves complex optimization problems of design, planning, and control, which are often computationally difficult for conventional optimization methods. Fortunately, the continuous advances in artificial intelligence have resulted in an increasing number of heuristic optimization methods for effectively handling those complicated problems. Particularly, algorithms that are inspired by the principles of natural biological evolution and/or collective behavior of social colonies have shown a promising performance and are becoming more and more popular nowadays. In this paper we summarize the recent advances in bio-inspired optimization methods, including artificial neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, swarm intelligence, and their hybridizations, which are applied to the field of sustainable energy development. Literature reviewed in this paper shows the current state of the art and discusses the potential future research trends.

A bio-inspired approach for in situ synthesis of tunable adhesive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Leming; Yi, Sijia; Wang, Yongzhong; Pan, Kang; Zhong, Qixin; Zhang, Mingjun

2014-01-01

Inspired by the strong adhesive produced by English ivy, this paper proposes an in situ synthesis approach for fabricating tunable nanoparticle enhanced adhesives. Special attention was given to tunable features of the adhesive produced by the biological process. Parameters that may be used to tune properties of the adhesive will be proposed. To illustrate and validate the proposed approach, an experimental platform was presented for fabricating tunable chitosan adhesive enhanced by Au nanoparticles synthesized in situ. This study contributes to a bio-inspired approach for in situ synthesis of tunable nanocomposite adhesives by mimicking the natural biological processes of ivy adhesive synthesis. (paper)

Multiple Decoupled CPGs with Local Sensory Feedback for Adaptive Locomotion Behaviors of Bio-inspired Walking Robots

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaker Barikhan, Subhi; Wörgötter, Florentin; Manoonpong, Poramate

2014-01-01

, and their interactions during body and leg movements through the environment. Based on this concept, we present here an artificial bio-inspired walking system. Its intralimb coordination is formed by multiple decoupled CPGs while its interlimb coordination is attained by the interactions between body dynamics...... and the environment through local sensory feedback of each leg. Simulation results show that this bio-inspired approach generates self-organizing emergent locomotion allowing the robot to adaptively form regular patterns, to stably walk while pushing an object with its front legs or performing multiple stepping...

On-chip visual perception of motion: a bio-inspired connectionist model on FPGA.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres-Huitzil, César; Girau, Bernard; Castellanos-Sánchez, Claudio

2005-01-01

Visual motion provides useful information to understand the dynamics of a scene to allow intelligent systems interact with their environment. Motion computation is usually restricted by real time requirements that need the design and implementation of specific hardware architectures. In this paper, the design of hardware architecture for a bio-inspired neural model for motion estimation is presented. The motion estimation is based on a strongly localized bio-inspired connectionist model with a particular adaptation of spatio-temporal Gabor-like filtering. The architecture is constituted by three main modules that perform spatial, temporal, and excitatory-inhibitory connectionist processing. The biomimetic architecture is modeled, simulated and validated in VHDL. The synthesis results on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) device show the potential achievement of real-time performance at an affordable silicon area.

Bio-inspired evaporation through plasmonic film of nanoparticles at the air-water interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhenhui; Liu, Yanming; Tao, Peng; Shen, Qingchen; Yi, Nan; Zhang, Fangyu; Liu, Quanlong; Song, Chengyi; Zhang, Di; Shang, Wen; Deng, Tao

2014-08-27

Plasmonic gold nanoparticles self-assembled at the air-water interface to produce an evaporative surface with local control inspired by skins and plant leaves. Fast and efficient evaporation is realized due to the instant and localized plasmonic heating at the evaporative surface. The bio-inspired evaporation process provides an alternative promising approach for evaporation, and has potential applications in sterilization, distillation, and heat transfer. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Performance Characteristics of Bio-Inspired Metal Nanostructures as Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattered (SERS) Substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Areizaga-Martinez, Hector I; Kravchenko, Ivan; Lavrik, Nickolay V; Sepaniak, Michael J; Hernández-Rivera, Samuel P; De Jesús, Marco A

2016-09-01

The fabrication of high-performance plasmonic nanomaterials for bio-sensing and trace chemical detection is a field of intense theoretical and experimental research. The use of metal-silicon nanopillar arrays as analytical sensors has been reported with reasonable results in recent years. The use of bio-inspired nanocomposite structures that follow the Fibonacci numerical architecture offers the opportunity to develop nanostructures with theoretically higher and more reproducible plasmonic fields over extended areas. The work presented here describes the nanofabrication process for a series of 40 µm × 40 µm bio-inspired arrays classified as asymmetric fractals (sunflower seeds and romanesco broccoli), bilaterally symmetric (acacia leaves and honeycombs), and radially symmetric (such as orchids and lily flowers) using electron beam lithography. In addition, analytical capabilities were evaluated using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The substrate characterization and SERS performance of the developed substrates as the strategies to assess the design performance are presented and discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

SABRE: a bio-inspired fault-tolerant electronic architecture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bremner, P; Samie, M; Dragffy, G; Pipe, A G; Liu, Y; Tempesti, G; Timmis, J; Tyrrell, A M

2013-01-01

As electronic devices become increasingly complex, ensuring their reliable, fault-free operation is becoming correspondingly more challenging. It can be observed that, in spite of their complexity, biological systems are highly reliable and fault tolerant. Hence, we are motivated to take inspiration for biological systems in the design of electronic ones. In SABRE (self-healing cellular architectures for biologically inspired highly reliable electronic systems), we have designed a bio-inspired fault-tolerant hierarchical architecture for this purpose. As in biology, the foundation for the whole system is cellular in nature, with each cell able to detect faults in its operation and trigger intra-cellular or extra-cellular repair as required. At the next level in the hierarchy, arrays of cells are configured and controlled as function units in a transport triggered architecture (TTA), which is able to perform partial-dynamic reconfiguration to rectify problems that cannot be solved at the cellular level. Each TTA is, in turn, part of a larger multi-processor system which employs coarser grain reconfiguration to tolerate faults that cause a processor to fail. In this paper, we describe the details of operation of each layer of the SABRE hierarchy, and how these layers interact to provide a high systemic level of fault tolerance. (paper)

Three-dimensional trajectory tracking for underactuated AUVs with bio-inspired velocity regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiajia Zhou

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper attempts to address the motion parameter skip problem associated with three-dimensional trajectory tracking of an underactuated Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV using backstepping-based control, due to the unsmoothness of tracking trajectory. Through kinematics concepts, a three-dimensional dynamic velocity regulation controller is derived. This controller makes use of the surge and angular velocity errors with bio-inspired models and backstepping techniques. It overcomes the frequently occurring problem of parameter skip at inflection point existing in backstepping tracking control method and increases system robustness. Moreover, the proposed method can effectively avoid the singularity problem in backstepping control of virtual velocity error. The control system is proved to be uniformly ultimately bounded using Lyapunov stability theory. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the developed controller, which can realize accurate three-dimensional trajectory tracking for an underactuated AUV with constant external disturbances. Keywords: Dynamic velocity regulation, Bio-inspired model, Backstepping, Underactuated AUV, Three-dimensional trajectory tracking

Direct numerical simulations of drag reduction in turbulent channel flow over bio-inspired herringbone riblet-texture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Benschop, H.O.G.; Westerweel, J.; Breugem, W.P.

2015-01-01

The use of drag reducing surface textures is a promising passive method to reduce fuel consumption. Probably most wellknown is the utilisation of shark-skin inspired ridges or riblets parallel to the mean flow. They can reduce drag up to 10%. Recently another bio-inspired texture based on bird

A two-dimensional iterative panel method and boundary layer model for bio-inspired multi-body wings

Science.gov (United States)

Blower, Christopher J.; Dhruv, Akash; Wickenheiser, Adam M.

2014-03-01

The increased use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has created a continuous demand for improved flight capabilities and range of use. During the last decade, engineers have turned to bio-inspiration for new and innovative flow control methods for gust alleviation, maneuverability, and stability improvement using morphing aircraft wings. The bio-inspired wing design considered in this study mimics the flow manipulation techniques performed by birds to extend the operating envelope of UAVs through the installation of an array of feather-like panels across the airfoil's upper and lower surfaces while replacing the trailing edge flap. Each flap has the ability to deflect into both the airfoil and the inbound airflow using hinge points with a single degree-of-freedom, situated at 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% of the chord. The installation of the surface flaps offers configurations that enable advantageous maneuvers while alleviating gust disturbances. Due to the number of possible permutations available for the flap configurations, an iterative constant-strength doublet/source panel method has been developed with an integrated boundary layer model to calculate the pressure distribution and viscous drag over the wing's surface. As a result, the lift, drag and moment coefficients for each airfoil configuration can be calculated. The flight coefficients of this numerical method are validated using experimental data from a low speed suction wind tunnel operating at a Reynolds Number 300,000. This method enables the aerodynamic assessment of a morphing wing profile to be performed accurately and efficiently in comparison to Computational Fluid Dynamics methods and experiments as discussed herein.

Interactive Learning Environment for Bio-Inspired Optimization Algorithms for UAV Path Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Haibin; Li, Pei; Shi, Yuhui; Zhang, Xiangyin; Sun, Changhao

2015-01-01

This paper describes the development of BOLE, a MATLAB-based interactive learning environment, that facilitates the process of learning bio-inspired optimization algorithms, and that is dedicated exclusively to unmanned aerial vehicle path planning. As a complement to conventional teaching methods, BOLE is designed to help students consolidate the…

The Emergence and Challenging Growth of the Bio-Ethanol Innovation System in Taiwan (1949-2015).

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Chao-Chen; Yang, Siang-Cing

2016-02-19

This study explores the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan from the perspective of a technology innovation system (TIS). Taiwan is a newly industrialized country and is not currently a main producer of bio-ethanol. This study analyzes the evolution of bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan and places a particular emphasis on challenges that present policies face in the context of potential long-term bio-ethanol development. Through an evaluation of the consistency of the present research, technology, development and innovation (RTDI) policies as well as the influence of these policies on the functional dynamics of bio-ethanol innovation system, mechanisms prohibiting the system from flourishing are determined. It is suggested that the production of bio-ethanol in Taiwan would be achieved if the government: (1) fixes long-term targets for both domestic bio-ethanol development and emission reduction; and (2) comprehensively designs a set of interrelated RTDI policies in accordance with the functional pattern of the bio-ethanol innovation system and consistently implements these policies. If such measures were implemented, it is considered that the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan would flourish.

Design and Analysis of a Bio-Inspired Wire-Driven Multi-Section Flexible Robot

OpenAIRE

Li, Zheng; Du, Ruxu

2013-01-01

This paper presents a bio-inspired wire-driven multi-section flexible robot. It is inspired by the snake skeleton and octopus arm muscle arrangements. The robot consists of three sections and each section is made up of several identical vertebras, which are articulated by both spherical joints and a flexible backbone. Each section is driven by two groups of wires, controlling the bending motion in X and Y directions. This design integrates the serpentine robots' structure and the continuum ro...

Bio-Inspired Interaction Control of Robotic Machines for Motor Therapy

OpenAIRE

Zollo, Loredana; Formica, Domenico; Guglielmelli, Eugenio

2007-01-01

In this chapter basic criteria for the design and implementation of interaction control of robotic machines for motor therapy have been briefly introduced and two bio-inspired compliance control laws developed by the authors to address requirements coming from this specific application field have been presented. The two control laws are named the coactivation-based compliance control in the joint space and the torque-dependent compliance control in the joint space, respectively. They try to o...

The Emergence and Challenging Growth of the Bio-Ethanol Innovation System in Taiwan (1949–2015)

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Chao-Chen; Yang, Siang-Cing

2016-01-01

This study explores the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan from the perspective of a technology innovation system (TIS). Taiwan is a newly industrialized country and is not currently a main producer of bio-ethanol. This study analyzes the evolution of bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan and places a particular emphasis on challenges that present policies face in the context of potential long-term bio-ethanol development. Through an evaluation of the consistency of the present research, technology, development and innovation (RTDI) policies as well as the influence of these policies on the functional dynamics of bio-ethanol innovation system, mechanisms prohibiting the system from flourishing are determined. It is suggested that the production of bio-ethanol in Taiwan would be achieved if the government: (1) fixes long-term targets for both domestic bio-ethanol development and emission reduction; and (2) comprehensively designs a set of interrelated RTDI policies in accordance with the functional pattern of the bio-ethanol innovation system and consistently implements these policies. If such measures were implemented, it is considered that the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan would flourish. PMID:26907306

The Emergence and Challenging Growth of the Bio-Ethanol Innovation System in Taiwan (1949–2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao-Chen Chung

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This study explores the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan from the perspective of a technology innovation system (TIS. Taiwan is a newly industrialized country and is not currently a main producer of bio-ethanol. This study analyzes the evolution of bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan and places a particular emphasis on challenges that present policies face in the context of potential long-term bio-ethanol development. Through an evaluation of the consistency of the present research, technology, development and innovation (RTDI policies as well as the influence of these policies on the functional dynamics of bio-ethanol innovation system, mechanisms prohibiting the system from flourishing are determined. It is suggested that the production of bio-ethanol in Taiwan would be achieved if the government: (1 fixes long-term targets for both domestic bio-ethanol development and emission reduction; and (2 comprehensively designs a set of interrelated RTDI policies in accordance with the functional pattern of the bio-ethanol innovation system and consistently implements these policies. If such measures were implemented, it is considered that the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan would flourish.

Wireless synapses in bio-inspired neural networks

Science.gov (United States)

Jannson, Tomasz; Forrester, Thomas; Degrood, Kevin

2009-05-01

Wireless (virtual) synapses represent a novel approach to bio-inspired neural networks that follow the infrastructure of the biological brain, except that biological (physical) synapses are replaced by virtual ones based on cellular telephony modeling. Such synapses are of two types: intracluster synapses are based on IR wireless ones, while intercluster synapses are based on RF wireless ones. Such synapses have three unique features, atypical of conventional artificial ones: very high parallelism (close to that of the human brain), very high reconfigurability (easy to kill and to create), and very high plasticity (easy to modify or upgrade). In this paper we analyze the general concept of wireless synapses with special emphasis on RF wireless synapses. Also, biological mammalian (vertebrate) neural models are discussed for comparison, and a novel neural lensing effect is discussed in detail.

Biotemplating of Luffa cylindrica sponges to self-supporting hierarchical zeolite macrostructures for bio-inspired structured catalytic reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zampieri, Alessandro; Mabande, Godwin T.P.; Selvam, Thangaraj; Schwieger, Wilhelm; Rudolph, Alexander; Hermann, Ralph; Sieber, Heino; Greil, Peter

2006-01-01

Biomorphic self-supporting MFI-type zeolite frameworks with hierarchical porosity and complex architecture were prepared using a 2-step (in-situ seeding and secondary crystal growth) hydrothermal synthesis in the presence of a biological template (Luffa sponge), employed as a macroscale sacrificial structure builder. The bio-inspired zeolitic replica inherited the complex spongy morphology and the intricate open-porous architecture of the biotemplate. Moreover, it exhibited reasonable mechanical stability in order to study the applicability of the biomorphic catalyst in a technical catalytic process. A bio-inspired catalytic reactor utilising the self-supporting ZSM-5 scaffold in monolithic configuration was developed in order to test the catalytic performance of the material

Biomimetic and bio-inspired uses of mollusc shells.

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, J P; Wang, Y; Backeljau, T; Chapelle, G

2016-06-01

Climate change and ocean acidification are likely to have a profound effect on marine molluscs, which are of great ecological and economic importance. One process particularly sensitive to climate change is the formation of biominerals in mollusc shells. Fundamental research is broadening our understanding of the biomineralization process, as well as providing more informed predictions on the effects of climate change on marine molluscs. Such studies are important in their own right, but their value also extends to applied sciences. Biominerals, organic/inorganic hybrid materials with many remarkable physical and chemical properties, have been studied for decades, and the possibilities for future improved use of such materials for society are widely recognised. This article highlights the potential use of our understanding of the shell biomineralization process in novel bio-inspired and biomimetic applications. It also highlights the potential for the valorisation of shells produced as a by-product of the aquaculture industry. Studying shells and the formation of biominerals will inspire novel functional hybrid materials. It may also provide sustainable, ecologically- and economically-viable solutions to some of the problems created by current human resource exploitation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The innovations in science and technology as a demand for bio-better medicines in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Demetzos, Costas

2015-01-01

The purpose of this review is to address the role of the scientific excellence of innovative medicines as the key element in the development process in Greece. The collected statistical information and data on the absorbability of funds for research of innovative medicines, diagnostics, and advanced drug delivery systems pointed out that the Greek scientists could take advantage of the "Horizon 2020" on the continuity of their investigation, whilst how the accumulation of knowledge at Greek universities and research foundations could be translated into industrial products with added value, safe and effective for the European consumers. In conclusion, this review also is considered to provide the potential benefits in order to adapt the signaling of the "Horizon 2020" for the development of a bio-better Europe based on scientific inspirations. This approach could be considered as an interplay between countries and even between the north and west located countries in the European landscape.

Strong Quantum Confinement Effects and Chiral Excitons in Bio-Inspired ZnO–Amino Acid Cocrystals

KAUST Repository

Muhammed, Madathumpady Abubaker Habeeb; Lamers, Marlene; Baumann, Verena; Dey, Priyanka; Blanch, Adam J.; Polishchuk, Iryna; Kong, Xiang-Tian; Levy, Davide; Urban, Alexander S.; Govorov, Alexander O.; Pokroy, Boaz; Rodrí guez-Ferná ndez, Jessica; Feldmann, Jochen

2018-01-01

of amino acid potential barriers within the ZnO crystal lattice. Overall, our findings indicate that biomolecule cocrystallization can be used as a truly bio-inspired means to induce chiral quantum confinement effects in quasi-bulk semiconductors.

A bio-inspired N-doped porous carbon electrocatalyst with hierarchical superstructure for efficient oxygen reduction reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Miao, Yue-E.; Yan, Jiajie; Ouyang, Yue; Lu, Hengyi; Lai, Feili; Wu, Yue; Liu, Tianxi

2018-06-01

The bio-inspired hierarchical "grape cluster" superstructure provides an effective integration of one-dimensional carbon nanofibers (CNF) with isolated carbonaceous nanoparticles into three-dimensional (3D) conductive frameworks for efficient electron and mass transfer. Herein, a 3D N-doped porous carbon electrocatalyst consisting of carbon nanofibers with grape-like N-doped hollow carbon particles (CNF@NC) has been prepared through a simple electrospinning strategy combined with in-situ growth and carbonization processes. Such a bio-inspired hierarchically organized conductive network largely facilitates both the mass diffusion and electron transfer during the oxygen reduction reactions (ORR). Therefore, the metal-free CNF@NC catalyst demonstrates superior catalytic activity with an absolute four-electron transfer mechanism, strong methanol tolerance and good long-term stability towards ORR in alkaline media.

Biologically Inspired Technology Using Electroactive Polymers (EAP)

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2006-01-01

Evolution allowed nature to introduce highly effective biological mechanisms that are incredible inspiration for innovation. Humans have always made efforts to imitate nature's inventions and we are increasingly making advances that it becomes significantly easier to imitate, copy, and adapt biological methods, processes and systems. This brought us to the ability to create technology that is far beyond the simple mimicking of nature. Having better tools to understand and to implement nature's principles we are now equipped like never before to be inspired by nature and to employ our tools in far superior ways. Effectively, by bio-inspiration we can have a better view and value of nature capability while studying its models to learn what can be extracted, copied or adapted. Using electroactive polymers (EAP) as artificial muscles is adding an important element to the development of biologically inspired technologies.

A bio-inspired approach for the reduction of left ventricular workload.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niema M Pahlevan

Full Text Available Previous studies have demonstrated the existence of optimization criteria in the design and development of mammalians cardiovascular systems. Similarities in mammalian arterial wave reflection suggest there are certain design criteria for the optimization of arterial wave dynamics. Inspired by these natural optimization criteria, we investigated the feasibility of optimizing the aortic waves by modifying wave reflection sites. A hydraulic model that has physical and dynamical properties similar to a human aorta and left ventricle was used for a series of in-vitro experiments. The results indicate that placing an artificial reflection site (a ring at a specific location along the aorta may create a constructive wave dynamic that could reduce LV pulsatile workload. This simple bio-inspired approach may have important implications for the future of treatment strategies for diseased aorta.

Natural and bio-inspired underwater adhesives: Current progress and new perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Mengkui; Ren, Susu; Wei, Shicao; Sun, Chengjun; Zhong, Chao

2017-11-01

Many marine organisms harness diverse protein molecules as underwater adhesives to achieve strong and robust interfacial adhesion under dynamic and turbulent environments. Natural underwater adhesion phenomena thus provide inspiration for engineering adhesive materials that can perform in water or high-moisture settings for biomedical and industrial applications. Here we review examples of biological adhesives to show the molecular features of natural adhesives and discuss how such knowledge serves as a heuristic guideline for the rational design of biologically inspired underwater adhesives. In view of future bio-inspired research, we propose several potential opportunities, either in improving upon current L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine-based and coacervates-enabled adhesives with new features or engineering conceptually new types of adhesives that recapitulate important characteristics of biological adhesives. We underline the importance of viewing natural adhesives as dynamic materials, which owe their outstanding performance to the cellular coordination of protein expression, delivery, deposition, assembly, and curing of corresponding components with spatiotemporal control. We envision that the emerging synthetic biology techniques will provide great opportunities for advancing both fundamental and application aspects of underwater adhesives.

Natural and bio-inspired underwater adhesives: Current progress and new perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mengkui Cui

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Many marine organisms harness diverse protein molecules as underwater adhesives to achieve strong and robust interfacial adhesion under dynamic and turbulent environments. Natural underwater adhesion phenomena thus provide inspiration for engineering adhesive materials that can perform in water or high-moisture settings for biomedical and industrial applications. Here we review examples of biological adhesives to show the molecular features of natural adhesives and discuss how such knowledge serves as a heuristic guideline for the rational design of biologically inspired underwater adhesives. In view of future bio-inspired research, we propose several potential opportunities, either in improving upon current L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine-based and coacervates-enabled adhesives with new features or engineering conceptually new types of adhesives that recapitulate important characteristics of biological adhesives. We underline the importance of viewing natural adhesives as dynamic materials, which owe their outstanding performance to the cellular coordination of protein expression, delivery, deposition, assembly, and curing of corresponding components with spatiotemporal control. We envision that the emerging synthetic biology techniques will provide great opportunities for advancing both fundamental and application aspects of underwater adhesives.

Bio-Inspired Control of an Arm Exoskeleton Joint with Active-Compliant Actuation System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michele Folgheraiter

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the methodology followed on the design of a multi-contact point haptic interface that uses a bio-inspired control approach and a novel actuation system. The combination of these components aims at creating a system that increases the operability of the target, and, at the same time, enables an intuitive and safe tele-operation of any complex robotic system of any given morphology. The novelty lies on the combination of a thoughtful kinematic structure driven by an active-compliant actuation system and a bio-inspired paradigm for its regulation. Due to the proposed actuation approach, the final system will achieve the condition of wearable system. On that final solution, each joint will be able to change its stiffness depending on the task to be executed, and on the anatomical features of each individual. Moreover, the system provides a variety of safety mechanisms at different levels to prevent causing any harm to the operator. In future, the system should allow the complete virtual immersion of the user within the working scenario.

An FEA study on impact resistance of bio-inspired CAD models

OpenAIRE

Page, T; Thorsteinsson, G

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of biomimetic methods in the design of armour systems. It focusses on biological structures found in nature that feature both rigid and flexible armours, analysing their structures and determining which are the most widely successful. A study was conducted on three bio-inspired structures built in Creo Parametric and tested using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software to determine which structure had the best impact resistance. The study was con...

Bio-inspired nano-photodiode for Low Light, High Resolution and crosstalk-free CMOS image sensing

KAUST Repository

Saffih, Faycal; Fitzpatrick, Nathaniel N.; Mohammad, Mohammad Ali; Evoy, S.; Cui, Bo

2011-01-01

photodiode morphology. The proposed bio-inspired nanorod photodiode puts the depletion region length on the path of the incident photon instead of on its width, as the case is with the planar photodiodes. The depletion region has a revolving volume

A highly efficient sharp-interface immersed boundary method with adaptive mesh refinement for bio-inspired flow simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Xiaolong; Dong, Haibo

2017-11-01

Developing a high-fidelity, high-efficiency numerical method for bio-inspired flow problems with flow-structure interaction is important for understanding related physics and developing many bio-inspired technologies. To simulate a fast-swimming big fish with multiple finlets or fish schooling, we need fine grids and/or a big computational domain, which are big challenges for 3-D simulations. In current work, based on the 3-D finite-difference sharp-interface immersed boundary method for incompressible flows (Mittal et al., JCP 2008), we developed an octree-like Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) technique to enhance the computational ability and increase the computational efficiency. The AMR is coupled with a multigrid acceleration technique and a MPI +OpenMP hybrid parallelization. In this work, different AMR layers are treated separately and the synchronization is performed in the buffer regions and iterations are performed for the convergence of solution. Each big region is calculated by a MPI process which then uses multiple OpenMP threads for further acceleration, so that the communication cost is reduced. With these acceleration techniques, various canonical and bio-inspired flow problems with complex boundaries can be simulated accurately and efficiently. This work is supported by the MURI Grant Number N00014-14-1-0533 and NSF Grant CBET-1605434.

RAIN: A Bio-Inspired Communication and Data Storage Infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Monti, Matteo; Rasmussen, Steen

2017-01-01

We summarize the results and perspectives from a companion article, where we presented and evaluated an alternative architecture for data storage in distributed networks. We name the bio-inspired architecture RAIN, and it offers file storage service that, in contrast with current centralized cloud storage, has privacy by design, is open source, is more secure, is scalable, is more sustainable, has community ownership, is inexpensive, and is potentially faster, more efficient, and more reliable. We propose that a RAIN-style architecture could form the backbone of the Internet of Things that likely will integrate multiple current and future infrastructures ranging from online services and cryptocurrency to parts of government administration.

A Review of Natural Joint Systems and Numerical Investigation of Bio-Inspired GFRP-to-Steel Joints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evangelos I. Avgoulas

2016-07-01

Full Text Available There are a great variety of joint types used in nature which can inspire engineering joints. In order to design such biomimetic joints, it is at first important to understand how biological joints work. A comprehensive literature review, considering natural joints from a mechanical point of view, was undertaken. This was used to develop a taxonomy based on the different methods/functions that nature successfully uses to attach dissimilar tissues. One of the key methods that nature uses to join dissimilar materials is a transitional zone of stiffness at the insertion site. This method was used to propose bio-inspired solutions with a transitional zone of stiffness at the joint site for several glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP to steel adhesively bonded joint configurations. The transition zone was used to reduce the material stiffness mismatch of the joint parts. A numerical finite element model was used to identify the optimum variation in material stiffness that minimises potential failure of the joint. The best bio-inspired joints showed a 118% increase of joint strength compared to the standard joints.

Final Report for Bio-Inspired Approaches to Moving-Target Defense Strategies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fink, Glenn A.; Oehmen, Christopher S.

2012-09-01

This report records the work and contributions of the NITRD-funded Bio-Inspired Approaches to Moving-Target Defense Strategies project performed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory under the technical guidance of the National Security Agency’s R6 division. The project has incorporated a number of bio-inspired cyber defensive technologies within an elastic framework provided by the Digital Ants. This project has created the first scalable, real-world prototype of the Digital Ants Framework (DAF)[11] and integrated five technologies into this flexible, decentralized framework: (1) Ant-Based Cyber Defense (ABCD), (2) Behavioral Indicators, (3) Bioinformatic Clas- sification, (4) Moving-Target Reconfiguration, and (5) Ambient Collaboration. The DAF can be used operationally to decentralize many such data intensive applications that normally rely on collection of large amounts of data in a central repository. In this work, we have shown how these component applications may be decentralized and may perform analysis at the edge. Operationally, this will enable analytics to scale far beyond current limitations while not suffering from the bandwidth or computational limitations of centralized analysis. This effort has advanced the R6 Cyber Security research program to secure digital infrastructures by developing a dynamic means to adaptively defend complex cyber systems. We hope that this work will benefit both our client’s efforts in system behavior modeling and cyber security to the overall benefit of the nation.

Innovation for the future of Irish MedTech industry: retrospective qualitative review of impact of BioInnovate Ireland's clinical fellows.

Science.gov (United States)

McGloughlin, Elizabeth Kate; Anglim, Paul; Keogh, Ivan; Sharif, Faisal

2018-01-01

Clinicians have historically been integral in innovating and developing technology in medicine and surgery. In recent years, however, in an increasingly complex healthcare system, a doctor with innovative ideas is often left behind. Transition from idea to bedside now entails significant hurdles, which often go unrecognised at the outset, particularly for first-time innovators. The BioInnnovate Ireland process, based on the Stanford Biodesign Programme (Identify, Invent and Implement), aims to streamline the process of innovation within the MedTech sector. These programmes focus on needs-based innovation and enable multidisciplinary teams to innovate and collaborate more succinctly. In this preliminary study, the authors aimed to examine the impact of BioInnovate Ireland has had on the clinicians involved and validate the collaborative process. To date, 13 fellows with backgrounds in clinical medicine have participated in the BioInnovate programme. Ten of these clinicians remain involved in clinical innovation projects with four of these working on Enterprise Ireland funded commercialisation grants and one working as chief executive officer of a service-led start-up, Strive. Of these, five also remain engaged in clinical practice on a full or part-time basis. The clinicians who have returned to full-time clinical practice have used the process and learning of the programme to influence their individual clinical areas and actively seek innovative solutions to meet clinical challenges. Clinicians, in particular, describe gaining value from the BioInnovate programme in areas of 'Understanding Entrepreneurship' and 'Business Strategy'. Further study is needed into the quantitative impact on the ecosystem and impact to other stakeholders.

Bio-Inspired Design and Kinematic Analysis of Dung Beetle-Like Legs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aditya, Sai Krishna Venkata; Ignasov, Jevgeni; Filonenko, Konstantin

2017-01-01

The African dung beetle Scarabaeus galenus can use its front legs to walk and manipulate or form a dung ball. The interesting multifunctional legs have not been fully investigated or even used as inspiration for robot leg design. Thus, in this paper, we present the development of real dung beetle......-like front legs based on biological investigation. As a result, each leg consists of three main segments which were built using 3D printing. The segments were combined with in total four active DOFs in order to mimic locomotion and object manipulation of the beetle. Kinematics analysis of the leg was also...... performed to identify its workspace as well as to design its trajectory. To this end, the study contributes not only novel multifunctional robotic legs but also the methodology of the bio-inspired leg design....

When Do Morally Motivated Innovators Elicit Inspiration Instead of Irritation?

Science.gov (United States)

Bolderdijk, Jan Willem; Brouwer, Claire; Cornelissen, Gert

2017-01-01

Innovators (i.e., consumers who are the first to adopt an innovation) are pivotal for the societal diffusion of sustainable innovations. But when are innovators most influential? Recent work suggests that morally motivated innovators (i.e., consumers who adopt an innovation out of concern for the welfare of others) can make fellow consumers who have not yet adopted that innovation feel morally inadequate. As a self-defense mechanism, those fellow consumers might dismiss these innovators and their choices. As a result, ironically, morally motivated innovators might discourage others to adopt sustainable innovations. In an experimental study, we replicate this pattern, but also show that moral innovators can elicit a more positive response as well. Specifically, our results offer initial evidence that morally motivated innovators may be more inspiring than self-interested innovators, provided that their actions do not directly pose a threat to the moral self-concept of observers. In sum, our research sheds empirical light on the conditions under which innovators are likely to facilitate, rather than slow down the transition to a more sustainable society.

Copper removal using bio-inspired polydopamine coated natural zeolites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Yang; Shapter, Joseph G. [Flinders Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park, Adelaide 5042, SA (Australia); Popelka-Filcoff, Rachel [School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park, Adelaide 5042, SA (Australia); Bennett, John W. [Centre for Nuclear Applications, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights 2234, NSW (Australia); Ellis, Amanda V., E-mail: Amanda.Ellis@flinders.edu.au [Flinders Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park, Adelaide 5042, SA (Australia)

2014-05-01

Highlights: • Natural zeolites were modified with bio-inspired polydopamine. • A 91.4% increase in Cu(II) ion adsorption capacity was observed. • Atomic absorption and neutron activation analysis gave corroborative results. • Neutron activation analysis was used to provide accurate information on 30+ elements. • Approximately 90% of the adsorbed copper could be recovered by 0.1 M HCl treatment. - Abstract: Herein, for the first time, natural clinoptilolite-rich zeolite powders modified with a bio-inspired adhesive, polydopamine (PDA), have been systematically studied as an adsorbent for copper cations (Cu(II)) from aqueous solution. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed successful grafting of PDA onto the zeolite surface. The effects of pH (2–5.5), PDA treatment time (3–24 h), contact time (0 to 24 h) and initial Cu(II) ion concentrations (1 to 500 mg dm{sup −3}) on the adsorption of Cu(II) ions were studied using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and neutron activation analysis (NAA). The adsorption behavior was fitted to a Langmuir isotherm and shown to follow a pseudo-second-order reaction model. The maximum adsorption capacities of Cu(II) were shown to be 14.93 mg g{sup −1} for pristine natural zeolite and 28.58 mg g{sup −1} for PDA treated zeolite powders. This impressive 91.4% increase in Cu(II) ion adsorption capacity is attributed to the chelating ability of the PDA on the zeolite surface. Furthermore studies of recyclability using NAA showed that over 50% of the adsorbed copper could be removed in mild concentrations (0.01 M or 0.1 M) of either acid or base.

Copper removal using bio-inspired polydopamine coated natural zeolites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Yang; Shapter, Joseph G.; Popelka-Filcoff, Rachel; Bennett, John W.; Ellis, Amanda V.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Natural zeolites were modified with bio-inspired polydopamine. • A 91.4% increase in Cu(II) ion adsorption capacity was observed. • Atomic absorption and neutron activation analysis gave corroborative results. • Neutron activation analysis was used to provide accurate information on 30+ elements. • Approximately 90% of the adsorbed copper could be recovered by 0.1 M HCl treatment. - Abstract: Herein, for the first time, natural clinoptilolite-rich zeolite powders modified with a bio-inspired adhesive, polydopamine (PDA), have been systematically studied as an adsorbent for copper cations (Cu(II)) from aqueous solution. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed successful grafting of PDA onto the zeolite surface. The effects of pH (2–5.5), PDA treatment time (3–24 h), contact time (0 to 24 h) and initial Cu(II) ion concentrations (1 to 500 mg dm −3 ) on the adsorption of Cu(II) ions were studied using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and neutron activation analysis (NAA). The adsorption behavior was fitted to a Langmuir isotherm and shown to follow a pseudo-second-order reaction model. The maximum adsorption capacities of Cu(II) were shown to be 14.93 mg g −1 for pristine natural zeolite and 28.58 mg g −1 for PDA treated zeolite powders. This impressive 91.4% increase in Cu(II) ion adsorption capacity is attributed to the chelating ability of the PDA on the zeolite surface. Furthermore studies of recyclability using NAA showed that over 50% of the adsorbed copper could be removed in mild concentrations (0.01 M or 0.1 M) of either acid or base

A bio-inspired high-authority actuator for shape morphing structures

Science.gov (United States)

Elzey, Dana M.; Sofla, Aarash Y. N.; Wadley, Haydn N. G.

2003-08-01

Lightweight structures capable of changing their shape on demand are of interest for a number of applications, including aerospace, power generation, and undersea vehicles. This paper describes a bio-inspired cellular metal vertebrate structure which relies on shape memory alloy (SMA) faces to achieve fully reversing shape change. The resulting vertebrate actuators can be combined with flexible face sheets to create a load-bearing, shape morphing panel. Performance of the vertebrate actuator in terms of maximum curvature and moment is analyzed and discussed. A recently constructed, prototype shape morphing airfoil is used to illustrate the concept.

Bio-inspired multistructured conical copper wires for highly efficient liquid manipulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qianbin; Meng, Qingan; Chen, Ming; Liu, Huan; Jiang, Lei

2014-09-23

Animal hairs are typical structured conical fibers ubiquitous in natural system that enable the manipulation of low viscosity liquid in a well-controlled manner, which serves as the fundamental structure in Chinese brush for ink delivery in a controllable manner. Here, drawing inspiration from these structure, we developed a dynamic electrochemical method that enables fabricating the anisotropic multiscale structured conical copper wire (SCCW) with controllable conicity and surface morphology. The as-prepared SCCW exhibits a unique ability for manipulating liquid with significantly high efficiency, and over 428 times greater than its own volume of liquid could be therefore operated. We propose that the boundary condition of the dynamic liquid balance behavior on conical fibers, namely, steady holding of liquid droplet at the tip region of the SCCW, makes it an excellent fibrous medium to manipulate liquid. Moreover, we demonstrate that the titling angle of the SCCW can also affect its efficiency of liquid manipulation by virtue of its mechanical rigidity, which is hardly realized by flexible natural hairs. We envision that the bio-inspired SCCW could give inspiration in designing materials and devices to manipulate liquid in a more controllable way and with high efficiency.

Facile creation of bio-inspired superhydrophobic Ce-based metallic glass surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kesong; Li, Zhou; Wang, Weihua; Jiang, Lei

2011-12-01

A bio-inspired synthesis strategy was conducted to fabricate superhydrophobic Ce-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) surfaces with self-cleaning properties. Micro-nanoscale hierarchical structures were first constructed on BMG surfaces and then modified with the low surface energy coating. Surface structures, surface chemical compositions, and wettability were characterized by combining scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. Research indicated that both surface multiscale structures and the low surface free energy coating result in the final formation of superhydrophobicity.

A tracked robot with novel bio-inspired passive "legs".

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Bo; Jing, Xingjian

2017-01-01

For track-based robots, an important aspect is the suppression design, which determines the trafficability and comfort of the whole system. The trafficability limits the robot's working capability, and the riding comfort limits the robot's working effectiveness, especially with some sensitive instruments mounted on or operated. To these aims, a track-based robot equipped with a novel passive bio-inspired suspension is designed and studied systematically in this paper. Animal or insects have very special leg or limb structures which are good for motion control and adaptable to different environments. Inspired by this, a new track-based robot is designed with novel "legs" for connecting the loading wheels to the robot body. Each leg is designed with passive structures and can achieve very high loading capacity but low dynamic stiffness such that the robot can move on rough ground similar to a multi-leg animal or insect. Therefore, the trafficability and riding comfort can be significantly improved without losing loading capacity. The new track-based robot can be well applied to various engineering tasks for providing a stable moving platform of high mobility, better trafficability and excellent loading capacity.

A bio-inspired electrocommunication system for small underwater robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Liu, Jindong; Xie, Guangming; Wen, Li; Zhang, Jianwei

2017-03-29

Weakly electric fishes (Gymnotid and Mormyrid) use an electric field to communicate efficiently (termed electrocommunication) in the turbid waters of confined spaces where other communication modalities fail. Inspired by this biological phenomenon, we design an artificial electrocommunication system for small underwater robots and explore the capabilities of such an underwater robotic communication system. An analytical model for electrocommunication is derived to predict the effect of the key parameters such as electrode distance and emitter current of the system on the communication performance. According to this model, a low-dissipation, and small-sized electrocommunication system is proposed and integrated into a small robotic fish. We characterize the communication performance of the robot in still water, flowing water, water with obstacles and natural water conditions. The results show that underwater robots are able to communicate electrically at a speed of around 1 k baud within about 3 m with a low power consumption (less than 1 W). In addition, we demonstrate that two leader-follower robots successfully achieve motion synchronization through electrocommunication in the three-dimensional underwater space, indicating that this bio-inspired electrocommunication system is a promising setup for the interaction of small underwater robots.

New development thoughts on the bio-inspired intelligence based control for unmanned combat aerial vehicle

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2010-01-01

Bio-inspired intelligence is in the spotlight in the field of international artificial intelligence,and unmanned combat aerial vehicle(UCAV),owing to its potential to perform dangerous,repetitive tasks in remote and hazardous,is very promising for the technological leadership of the nation and essential for improving the security of society.On the basis of introduction of bioinspired intelligence and UCAV,a series of new development thoughts on UCAV control are proposed,including artificial brain based high-level autonomous control for UCAV,swarm intelligence based cooperative control for multiple UCAVs,hy-brid swarm intelligence and Bayesian network based situation assessment under complicated combating environments, bio-inspired hardware based high-level autonomous control for UCAV,and meta-heuristic intelligence based heterogeneous cooperative control for multiple UCAVs and unmanned combat ground vehicles(UCGVs).The exact realization of the proposed new development thoughts can enhance the effectiveness of combat,while provide a series of novel breakthroughs for the intelligence,integration and advancement of future UCAV systems.

Bio-inspired UAV routing, source localization, and acoustic signature classification for persistent surveillance

Science.gov (United States)

Burman, Jerry; Hespanha, Joao; Madhow, Upamanyu; Pham, Tien

2011-06-01

A team consisting of Teledyne Scientific Company, the University of California at Santa Barbara and the Army Research Laboratory* is developing technologies in support of automated data exfiltration from heterogeneous battlefield sensor networks to enhance situational awareness for dismounts and command echelons. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) provide an effective means to autonomously collect data from a sparse network of unattended ground sensors (UGSs) that cannot communicate with each other. UAVs are used to reduce the system reaction time by generating autonomous collection routes that are data-driven. Bio-inspired techniques for search provide a novel strategy to detect, capture and fuse data. A fast and accurate method has been developed to localize an event by fusing data from a sparse number of UGSs. This technique uses a bio-inspired algorithm based on chemotaxis or the motion of bacteria seeking nutrients in their environment. A unique acoustic event classification algorithm was also developed based on using swarm optimization. Additional studies addressed the problem of routing multiple UAVs, optimally placing sensors in the field and locating the source of gunfire at helicopters. A field test was conducted in November of 2009 at Camp Roberts, CA. The field test results showed that a system controlled by bio-inspired software algorithms can autonomously detect and locate the source of an acoustic event with very high accuracy and visually verify the event. In nine independent test runs of a UAV, the system autonomously located the position of an explosion nine times with an average accuracy of 3 meters. The time required to perform source localization using the UAV was on the order of a few minutes based on UAV flight times. In June 2011, additional field tests of the system will be performed and will include multiple acoustic events, optimal sensor placement based on acoustic phenomenology and the use of the International Technology Alliance (ITA

Three-Dimensional-Printing of Bio-Inspired Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang Gu, Grace; Su, Isabelle; Sharma, Shruti; Voros, Jamie L.; Qin, Zhao; Buehler, Markus J.

2016-01-01

Optimized for millions of years, natural materials often outperform synthetic materials due to their hierarchical structures and multifunctional abilities. They usually feature a complex architecture that consists of simple building blocks. Indeed, many natural materials such as bone, nacre, hair, and spider silk, have outstanding material properties, making them applicable to engineering applications that may require both mechanical resilience and environmental compatibility. However, such natural materials are very difficult to harvest in bulk, and may be toxic in the way they occur naturally, and therefore, it is critical to use alternative methods to fabricate materials that have material functions similar to material function as their natural counterparts for large-scale applications. Recent progress in additive manufacturing, especially the ability to print multiple materials at upper micrometer resolution, has given researchers an excellent instrument to design and reconstruct natural-inspired materials. The most advanced 3D-printer can now be used to manufacture samples to emulate their geometry and material composition with high fidelity. Its capabilities, in combination with computational modeling, have provided us even more opportunities for designing, optimizing, and testing the function of composite materials, in order to achieve composites of high mechanical resilience and reliability. In this review article, we focus on the advanced material properties of several multifunctional biological materials and discuss how the advanced 3D-printing techniques can be used to mimic their architectures and functions. Lastly, we discuss the limitations of 3D-printing, suggest possible future developments, and discuss applications using bio-inspired materials as a tool in bioengineering and other fields. PMID:26747791

Three-Dimensional-Printing of Bio-Inspired Composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang Gu, Grace; Su, Isabelle; Sharma, Shruti; Voros, Jamie L; Qin, Zhao; Buehler, Markus J

2016-02-01

Optimized for millions of years, natural materials often outperform synthetic materials due to their hierarchical structures and multifunctional abilities. They usually feature a complex architecture that consists of simple building blocks. Indeed, many natural materials such as bone, nacre, hair, and spider silk, have outstanding material properties, making them applicable to engineering applications that may require both mechanical resilience and environmental compatibility. However, such natural materials are very difficult to harvest in bulk, and may be toxic in the way they occur naturally, and therefore, it is critical to use alternative methods to fabricate materials that have material functions similar to material function as their natural counterparts for large-scale applications. Recent progress in additive manufacturing, especially the ability to print multiple materials at upper micrometer resolution, has given researchers an excellent instrument to design and reconstruct natural-inspired materials. The most advanced 3D-printer can now be used to manufacture samples to emulate their geometry and material composition with high fidelity. Its capabilities, in combination with computational modeling, have provided us even more opportunities for designing, optimizing, and testing the function of composite materials, in order to achieve composites of high mechanical resilience and reliability. In this review article, we focus on the advanced material properties of several multifunctional biological materials and discuss how the advanced 3D-printing techniques can be used to mimic their architectures and functions. Lastly, we discuss the limitations of 3D-printing, suggest possible future developments, and discuss applications using bio-inspired materials as a tool in bioengineering and other fields.

Locomotion Dynamics for Bio-inspired Robots with Soft Appendages: Application to Flapping Flight and Passive Swimming

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer, Frédéric; Porez, Mathieu; Morsli, Ferhat; Morel, Yannick

2017-08-01

In animal locomotion, either in fish or flying insects, the use of flexible terminal organs or appendages greatly improves the performance of locomotion (thrust and lift). In this article, we propose a general unified framework for modeling and simulating the (bio-inspired) locomotion of robots using soft organs. The proposed approach is based on the model of Mobile Multibody Systems (MMS). The distributed flexibilities are modeled according to two major approaches: the Floating Frame Approach (FFA) and the Geometrically Exact Approach (GEA). Encompassing these two approaches in the Newton-Euler modeling formalism of robotics, this article proposes a unique modeling framework suited to the fast numerical integration of the dynamics of a MMS in both the FFA and the GEA. This general framework is applied on two illustrative examples drawn from bio-inspired locomotion: the passive swimming in von Karman Vortex Street, and the hovering flight with flexible flapping wings.

Innovation for the future of Irish MedTech industry: retrospective qualitative review of impact of BioInnovate Ireland’s clinical fellows

Science.gov (United States)

McGloughlin, Elizabeth Kate; Anglim, Paul; Keogh, Ivan; Sharif, Faisal

2018-01-01

Clinicians have historically been integral in innovating and developing technology in medicine and surgery. In recent years, however, in an increasingly complex healthcare system, a doctor with innovative ideas is often left behind. Transition from idea to bedside now entails significant hurdles, which often go unrecognised at the outset, particularly for first-time innovators. The BioInnnovate Ireland process, based on the Stanford Biodesign Programme (Identify, Invent and Implement), aims to streamline the process of innovation within the MedTech sector. These programmes focus on needs-based innovation and enable multidisciplinary teams to innovate and collaborate more succinctly. In this preliminary study, the authors aimed to examine the impact of BioInnovate Ireland has had on the clinicians involved and validate the collaborative process. To date, 13 fellows with backgrounds in clinical medicine have participated in the BioInnovate programme. Ten of these clinicians remain involved in clinical innovation projects with four of these working on Enterprise Ireland funded commercialisation grants and one working as chief executive officer of a service-led start-up, Strive. Of these, five also remain engaged in clinical practice on a full or part-time basis. The clinicians who have returned to full-time clinical practice have used the process and learning of the programme to influence their individual clinical areas and actively seek innovative solutions to meet clinical challenges. Clinicians, in particular, describe gaining value from the BioInnovate programme in areas of ‘Understanding Entrepreneurship’ and ‘Business Strategy’. Further study is needed into the quantitative impact on the ecosystem and impact to other stakeholders. PMID:29599999

Energy evaluation of a bio-inspired gait modulation method for quadrupedal locomotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuoka, Yasuhiro; Fukino, Kota; Habu, Yasushi; Mori, Yoshikazu

2015-08-04

We have proposed a bio-inspired gait modulation method, by means of which a simulated quadruped model can successfully perform smooth, autonomous gait transitions from a walk to a trot to a gallop, as observed in animals. The model is equipped with a rhythm generator called a central pattern generator (CPG) for each leg. The lateral neighbouring CPGs are mutually and inhibitorily coupled, and the CPG network is hardwired to produce a trot. Adding only the simple feedback of body tilt to each CPG, which was based on input from the postural reflex, led to the emergence of un-programmed walking and galloping at low and high speeds, respectively. Although this autonomous gait transition was a consequence of postural adaptation, it coincidentally also resulted in the minimization of energy consumption, as observed in real animals. In simulations at a variety of constant speeds the energy cost was lower for walking at low speeds and for galloping at high speeds than it was for trotting. Moreover, each gait transition occurred at the optimal speed, such that the model minimised its energy consumption. Thus, gait transitions in simulations that included the bio-inspired gait modulation method were similar to those observed in animals, even from the perspective of energy consumption. This method should therefore be a preferred choice for motion generation and control in biomimetic quadrupedal locomotion.

Bio-inspired vision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Posch, C

2012-01-01

Nature still outperforms the most powerful computers in routine functions involving perception, sensing and actuation like vision, audition, and motion control, and is, most strikingly, orders of magnitude more energy-efficient than its artificial competitors. The reasons for the superior performance of biological systems are subject to diverse investigations, but it is clear that the form of hardware and the style of computation in nervous systems are fundamentally different from what is used in artificial synchronous information processing systems. Very generally speaking, biological neural systems rely on a large number of relatively simple, slow and unreliable processing elements and obtain performance and robustness from a massively parallel principle of operation and a high level of redundancy where the failure of single elements usually does not induce any observable system performance degradation. In the late 1980's, Carver Mead demonstrated that silicon VLSI technology can be employed in implementing ''neuromorphic'' circuits that mimic neural functions and fabricating building blocks that work like their biological role models. Neuromorphic systems, as the biological systems they model, are adaptive, fault-tolerant and scalable, and process information using energy-efficient, asynchronous, event-driven methods. In this paper, some basics of neuromorphic electronic engineering and its impact on recent developments in optical sensing and artificial vision are presented. It is demonstrated that bio-inspired vision systems have the potential to outperform conventional, frame-based vision acquisition and processing systems in many application fields and to establish new benchmarks in terms of redundancy suppression/data compression, dynamic range, temporal resolution and power efficiency to realize advanced functionality like 3D vision, object tracking, motor control, visual feedback loops, etc. in real-time. It is argued that future artificial vision systems

8th International Conference on Bio-Inspired Computing : Theories and Applications

CERN Document Server

Pan, Linqiang; Fang, Xianwen

2013-01-01

International Conference on Bio-Inspired Computing: Theories and Applications (BIC-TA) is one of the flagship conferences on Bio-Computing, bringing together the world’s leading scientists from different areas of Natural Computing. Since 2006, the conferences have taken place at Wuhan (2006), Zhengzhou (2007), Adelaide (2008), Beijing (2009), Liverpool & Changsha (2010), Malaysia (2011) and India (2012). Following the successes of previous events, the 8th conference is organized and hosted by Anhui University of Science and Technology in China. This conference aims to provide a high-level international forum that researchers with different backgrounds and who are working in the related areas can use to present their latest results and exchange ideas. Additionally, the growing trend in Emergent Systems has resulted in the inclusion of two other closely related fields in the BIC-TA 2013 event, namely Complex Systems and Computational Neuroscience. These proceedings are intended for researchers in the fiel...

Bio-Inspired Asynchronous Pixel Event Tricolor Vision Sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Lenero-Bardallo, Juan Antonio; Bryn, D H; Hafliger, Philipp

2014-06-01

This article investigates the potential of the first ever prototype of a vision sensor that combines tricolor stacked photo diodes with the bio-inspired asynchronous pixel event communication protocol known as Address Event Representation (AER). The stacked photo diodes are implemented in a 22 × 22 pixel array in a standard STM 90 nm CMOS process. Dynamic range is larger than 60 dB and pixels fill factor is 28%. The pixels employ either simple pulse frequency modulation (PFM) or a Time-to-First-Spike (TFS) mode. A heuristic linear combination of the chip's inherent pseudo colors serves to approximate RGB color representation. Furthermore, the sensor outputs can be processed to represent the radiation in the near infrared (NIR) band without employing external filters, and to color-encode direction of motion due to an asymmetry in the update rates of the different diode layers.

Catalytic applications of bio-inspired nanomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Pacardo, Dennis Kien Balaong

The biomimetic synthesis of Pd nanoparticles was presented using the Pd4 peptide, TSNAVHPTLRHL, isolated from combinatorial phage display library. Using this approach, nearly monodisperse and spherical Pd nanoparticles were generated with an average diameter of 1.9 +/- 0.4 nm. The peptide-based nanocatalyst were employed in the Stille coupling reaction under energy-efficient and environmentally friendly reaction conditions of aqueous solvent, room temperature and very low catalyst loading. To this end, the Pd nanocatalyst generated high turnover frequency (TOF) value and quantitative yields using ≥ 0.005 mol% Pd as well as catalytic activities with different aryl halides containing electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups. The Pd4-capped Pd nanoparticles followed the atom-leaching mechanism and were found to be selective with respect to substrate identity. On the other hand, the naturally-occurring R5 peptide (SSKKSGSYSGSKGSKRRIL) was employed in the synthesis of biotemplated Pd nanomaterials which showed morphological changes as a function of Pd:peptide ratio. TOF analysis for hydrogenation of olefinic alcohols showed similar catalytic activity regardless of nanomorphology. Determination of catalytic properties of these bio-inspired nanomaterials are important as they serve as model system for alternative green catalyst with applications in industrially important transformations.

Bio-inspired iron and manganese complexes derived from mixed N,O ligands for the oxidation of olefins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moelands, M.A.H.

2014-01-01

This Thesis describes the synthesis and structural analysis of bio-inspired iron and manganese complexes used for the catalytic oxidation of olefin substrates. The development of catalytic systems for oxidation chemistry that are based on first row transition metals and that apply a green oxidant

Bio-inspired nano tools for neuroscience.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Suradip; Carnicer-Lombarte, Alejandro; Fawcett, James W; Bora, Utpal

2016-07-01

Research and treatment in the nervous system is challenged by many physiological barriers posing a major hurdle for neurologists. The CNS is protected by a formidable blood brain barrier (BBB) which limits surgical, therapeutic and diagnostic interventions. The hostile environment created by reactive astrocytes in the CNS along with the limited regeneration capacity of the PNS makes functional recovery after tissue damage difficult and inefficient. Nanomaterials have the unique ability to interface with neural tissue in the nano-scale and are capable of influencing the function of a single neuron. The ability of nanoparticles to transcend the BBB through surface modifications has been exploited in various neuro-imaging techniques and for targeted drug delivery. The tunable topography of nanofibers provides accurate spatio-temporal guidance to regenerating axons. This review is an attempt to comprehend the progress in understanding the obstacles posed by the complex physiology of the nervous system and the innovations in design and fabrication of advanced nanomaterials drawing inspiration from natural phenomenon. We also discuss the development of nanomaterials for use in Neuro-diagnostics, Neuro-therapy and the fabrication of advanced nano-devices for use in opto-electronic and ultrasensitive electrophysiological applications. The energy efficient and parallel computing ability of the human brain has inspired the design of advanced nanotechnology based computational systems. However, extensive use of nanomaterials in neuroscience also raises serious toxicity issues as well as ethical concerns regarding nano implants in the brain. In conclusion we summarize these challenges and provide an insight into the huge potential of nanotechnology platforms in neuroscience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

BioAir: Bio-Inspired Airborne Infrastructure Reconfiguration

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

must also minimize resource usage due to limitations on the amount of processing , memory and power onboard a node. BioAIR assumes the availability of...subsequent maintenance of tentacles, each node will take one of the following roles: “ orphan ”, “free”, “tip”, “backbone” or “extra”. The BioAIR...algorithm dictates that when a node is disconnected from the tentacle or origin it is an orphan , and as such it will change its target to the nearest

Bio-inspired routes for synthesizing efficient nanoscale platinum electrocatalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cha, Jennifer N. [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States); Wang, Joseph [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)

2014-08-31

The overall objective of the proposed research is to use fundamental advances in bionanotechnology to design powerful platinum nanocrystal electrocatalysts for fuel cell applications. The new economically-viable, environmentally-friendly, bottom-up biochemical synthetic strategy will produce platinum nanocrystals with tailored size, shape and crystal orientation, hence leading to a maximum electrochemical reactivity. There are five specific aims to the proposed bio-inspired strategy for synthesizing efficient electrocatalytic platinum nanocrystals: (1) isolate peptides that both selectively bind particular crystal faces of platinum and promote the nucleation and growth of particular nanocrystal morphologies, (2) pattern nanoscale 2-dimensional arrays of platinum nucleating peptides from DNA scaffolds, (3) investigate the combined use of substrate patterned peptides and soluble peptides on nanocrystal morphology and growth (4) synthesize platinum crystals on planar and large-area carbon electrode supports, and (5) perform detailed characterization of the electrocatalytic behavior as a function of catalyst size, shape and morphology. Project Description and Impact: This bio-inspired collaborative research effort will address key challenges in designing powerful electrocatalysts for fuel cell applications by employing nucleic acid scaffolds in combination with peptides to perform specific, environmentally-friendly, simultaneous bottom-up biochemical synthesis and patterned assembly of highly uniform and efficient platinum nanocrystal catalysts. Bulk synthesis of nanoparticles usually produces a range of sizes, accessible catalytic sites, crystal morphologies, and orientations, all of which lead to inconsistent catalytic activities. In contrast, biological systems routinely demonstrate exquisite control over inorganic syntheses at neutral pH and ambient temperature and pressures. Because the orientation and arrangement of the templating biomolecules can be precisely

Novel bio-inspired smart control for hazard mitigation of civil structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yeesock; Kim, Changwon; Langari, Reza

2010-01-01

In this paper, a new bio-inspired controller is proposed for vibration mitigation of smart structures subjected to ground disturbances (i.e. earthquakes). The control system is developed through the integration of a brain emotional learning (BEL) algorithm with a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller and a semiactive inversion (Inv) algorithm. The BEL algorithm is based on the neurologically inspired computational model of the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid BEL–PID–Inv control algorithm, a seismically excited building structure equipped with a magnetorheological (MR) damper is investigated. The performance of the proposed hybrid BEL–PID–Inv control algorithm is compared with that of passive, PID, linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG), and BEL control systems. In the simulation, the robustness of the hybrid BEL–PID–Inv control algorithm in the presence of modeling uncertainties as well as external disturbances is investigated. It is shown that the proposed hybrid BEL–PID–Inv control algorithm is effective in improving the dynamic responses of seismically excited building structure–MR damper systems

A bio-inspired glucose controller based on pancreatic β-cell physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrero, Pau; Georgiou, Pantelis; Oliver, Nick; Johnston, Desmond G; Toumazou, Christofer

2012-05-01

Control algorithms for closed-loop insulin delivery in type 1 diabetes have been mainly based on control engineering or artificial intelligence techniques. These, however, are not based on the physiology of the pancreas but seek to implement engineering solutions to biology. Developments in mathematical models of the β-cell physiology of the pancreas have described the glucose-induced insulin release from pancreatic β cells at a molecular level. This has facilitated development of a new class of bio-inspired glucose control algorithms that replicate the functionality of the biological pancreas. However, technologies for sensing glucose levels and delivering insulin use the subcutaneous route, which is nonphysiological and introduces some challenges. In this article, a novel glucose controller is presented as part of a bio-inspired artificial pancreas. A mathematical model of β-cell physiology was used as the core of the proposed controller. In order to deal with delays and lack of accuracy introduced by the subcutaneous route, insulin feedback and a gain scheduling strategy were employed. A United States Food and Drug Administration-accepted type 1 diabetes mellitus virtual population was used to validate the presented controller. Premeal and postmeal mean ± standard deviation blood glucose levels for the adult and adolescent populations were well within the target range set for the controller [(70, 180) mg/dl], with a percent time in range of 92.8 ± 7.3% for the adults and 83.5 ± 14% for the adolescents. This article shows for the first time very good glucose control in a virtual population with type 1 diabetes mellitus using a controller based on a subcellular β-cell model. © 2012 Diabetes Technology Society.

Computational Design of Multi-component Bio-Inspired Bilayer Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evan Koufos

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Our investigation is motivated by the need to design bilayer membranes with tunable interfacial and mechanical properties for use in a range of applications, such as targeted drug delivery, sensing and imaging. We draw inspiration from biological cell membranes and focus on their principal constituents. In this paper, we present our results on the role of molecular architecture on the interfacial, structural and dynamical properties of bio-inspired membranes. We focus on four lipid architectures with variations in the head group shape and the hydrocarbon tail length. Each lipid species is composed of a hydrophilic head group and two hydrophobic tails. In addition, we study a model of the Cholesterol molecule to understand the interfacial properties of a bilayer membrane composed of rigid, single-tail molecular species. We demonstrate the properties of the bilayer membranes to be determined by the molecular architecture and rigidity of the constituent species. Finally, we demonstrate the formation of a stable mixed bilayer membrane composed of Cholesterol and one of the phospholipid species. Our approach can be adopted to design multi-component bilayer membranes with tunable interfacial and mechanical properties. We use a Molecular Dynamics-based mesoscopic simulation technique called Dissipative Particle Dynamics that resolves the molecular details of the components through soft-sphere coarse-grained models and reproduces the hydrodynamic behavior of the system over extended time scales.

Integration of bio-inspired, control-based visual and olfactory data for the detection of an elusive target

Science.gov (United States)

Duong, Tuan A.; Duong, Nghi; Le, Duong

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present an integration technique using a bio-inspired, control-based visual and olfactory receptor system to search for elusive targets in practical environments where the targets cannot be seen obviously by either sensory data. Bio-inspired Visual System is based on a modeling of extended visual pathway which consists of saccadic eye movements and visual pathway (vertebrate retina, lateral geniculate nucleus and visual cortex) to enable powerful target detections of noisy, partial, incomplete visual data. Olfactory receptor algorithm, namely spatial invariant independent component analysis, that was developed based on data of old factory receptor-electronic nose (enose) of Caltech, is adopted to enable the odorant target detection in an unknown environment. The integration of two systems is a vital approach and sets up a cornerstone for effective and low-cost of miniaturized UAVs or fly robots for future DOD and NASA missions, as well as for security systems in Internet of Things environments.

Nature as an engineer: one simple concept of a bio-inspired functional artificial muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, S; Haeufle, D F B; Blickhan, R; Günther, M

2012-09-01

The biological muscle is a powerful, flexible and versatile actuator. Its intrinsic characteristics determine the way how movements are generated and controlled. Robotic and prosthetic applications expect to profit from relying on bio-inspired actuators which exhibit natural (muscle-like) characteristics. As of today, when constructing a technical actuator, it is not possible to copy the exact molecular structure of a biological muscle. Alternatively, the question may be put how its characteristics can be realized with known mechanical components. Recently, a mechanical construct for an artificial muscle was proposed, which exhibits hyperbolic force-velocity characteristics. In this paper, we promote the constructing concept which is made by substantiating the mechanical design of biological muscle by a simple model, proving the feasibility of its real-world implementation, and checking their output both for mutual consistency and agreement with biological measurements. In particular, the relations of force, enthalpy rate and mechanical efficiency versus contraction velocity of both the construct's technical implementation and its numerical model were determined in quick-release experiments. All model predictions for these relations and the hardware results are now in good agreement with the biological literature. We conclude that the construct represents a mechanical concept of natural actuation, which is suitable for laying down some useful suggestions when designing bio-inspired actuators.

Training mechanical engineering students to utilize biological inspiration during product development.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruck, Hugh A; Gershon, Alan L; Golden, Ira; Gupta, Satyandra K; Gyger, Lawrence S; Magrab, Edward B; Spranklin, Brent W

2007-12-01

The use of bio-inspiration for the development of new products and devices requires new educational tools for students consisting of appropriate design and manufacturing technologies, as well as curriculum. At the University of Maryland, new educational tools have been developed that introduce bio-inspired product realization to undergraduate mechanical engineering students. These tools include the development of a bio-inspired design repository, a concurrent fabrication and assembly manufacturing technology, a series of undergraduate curriculum modules and a new senior elective in the bio-inspired robotics area. This paper first presents an overview of the two new design and manufacturing technologies that enable students to realize bio-inspired products, and describes how these technologies are integrated into the undergraduate educational experience. Then, the undergraduate curriculum modules are presented, which provide students with the fundamental design and manufacturing principles needed to support bio-inspired product and device development. Finally, an elective bio-inspired robotics project course is present, which provides undergraduates with the opportunity to demonstrate the application of the knowledge acquired through the curriculum modules in their senior year using the new design and manufacturing technologies.

Gas. Innovators talking; Gas. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on gas [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar gas.

Gas. Innovators talking; Gas. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on gas [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar gas.

Stimulation de la bio-innovation en vue d'atténuer la pauvreté en Asie

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

, politiques et installations nécessaires à la bio-innovation. Toutefois, les produits issus de la bio-innovation ne sont généralement pas mis au service des millions de pauvres, qui n'ont guère accès aux technologies. Le projet a pour but de ...

Bio-inspired Design Approached Antifouling Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzsimons, L.; Chapman, J.; Lawlor, A.; Regan, F.

2012-04-01

Biofouling exists as the undesirable accumulation of flora and fauna on a given substrate when immersed into an aquatic media. Its presence causes a range of deleterious effects for anyone faced in tackling the problem, which is more than often financially testing. Generally, the initial biofouling stage is stochastic and the attachment of microorganisms held fast in biofilm matrices is irreversible. Stability of the biofilm occurs when exopolymeric substances (EPS) are produced forming a protective surrounding, allowing the cohered microorganisms to colonise and thrive upon the surface. Therefore, if this initial stage of biofilm development can be prevented then it could be possible to prevent subsequent macro events that ensue. Environmental monitoring is one area that faces this challenge and forms the impetus of the work presented herein. In order to improve a monitoring device's lifetime, surface coatings with biocidal agents are applied to counteract these steps. This work shows the development of a range of novel materials, which demonstrate the ability to counteract and inhibit the initial stages of biofouling for monitoring devices. Natural bio-inspired surfaces have been developed using nano-functionalised coatings. All materials are tested in the field and positive results in reducing the biofouling challenge are demonstrated. The results from the deployment of antifouling materials, together with real-time, long-term water quality data from the test site are also shown.

A Wireless Fatigue Monitoring System Utilizing a Bio-Inspired Tree Ring Data Tracking Technique

OpenAIRE

Bai, Shi; Li, Xuan; Xie, Zhaohui; Zhou, Zhi; Ou, Jinping

2014-01-01

Fatigue, a hot scientific research topic for centuries, can trigger sudden failure of critical structures such as aircraft and railway systems, resulting in enormous casualties as well as economic losses. The fatigue life of certain structures is intrinsically random and few monitoring techniques are capable of tracking the full life-cycle fatigue damage. In this paper, a novel in-situ wireless real-time fatigue monitoring system using a bio-inspired tree ring data tracking technique is propo...

Formation Control for Water-Jet USV Based on Bio-Inspired Method

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Ming-yu; Wang, Duan-song; Wang, Cheng-long

2018-03-01

The formation control problem for underactuated unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) is addressed by a distributed strategy based on virtual leader strategy. The control system takes account of disturbance induced by external environment. With the coordinate transformation, the advantage of the proposed scheme is that the control point can be any point of the ship instead of the center of gravity. By introducing bio-inspired model, the formation control problem is addressed with backstepping method. This avoids complicated computation, simplifies the control law, and smoothes the input signals. The system uniform ultimate boundness is proven by Lyapunov stability theory with Young inequality. Simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness and robust of the proposed controller.

Parallel Processing and Bio-inspired Computing for Biomedical Image Registration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silviu Ioan Bejinariu

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Image Registration (IR is an optimization problem computing optimal parameters of a geometric transform used to overlay one or more source images to a given model by maximizing a similarity measure. In this paper the use of bio-inspired optimization algorithms in image registration is analyzed. Results obtained by means of three different algorithms are compared: Bacterial Foraging Optimization Algorithm (BFOA, Genetic Algorithm (GA and Clonal Selection Algorithm (CSA. Depending on the images type, the registration may be: area based, which is slow but more precise, and features based, which is faster. In this paper a feature based approach based on the Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT is proposed. Finally, results obtained using sequential and parallel implementations on multi-core systems for area based and features based image registration are compared.

Image sensor system with bio-inspired efficient coding and adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Okuno, Hirotsugu; Yagi, Tetsuya

2012-08-01

We designed and implemented an image sensor system equipped with three bio-inspired coding and adaptation strategies: logarithmic transform, local average subtraction, and feedback gain control. The system comprises a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a resistive network, and active pixel sensors (APS), whose light intensity-voltage characteristics are controllable. The system employs multiple time-varying reset voltage signals for APS in order to realize multiple logarithmic intensity-voltage characteristics, which are controlled so that the entropy of the output image is maximized. The system also employs local average subtraction and gain control in order to obtain images with an appropriate contrast. The local average is calculated by the resistive network instantaneously. The designed system was successfully used to obtain appropriate images of objects that were subjected to large changes in illumination.

Nature as an engineer: one simple concept of a bio-inspired functional artificial muscle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitt, S; Haeufle, D F B; Günther, M; Blickhan, R

2012-01-01

The biological muscle is a powerful, flexible and versatile actuator. Its intrinsic characteristics determine the way how movements are generated and controlled. Robotic and prosthetic applications expect to profit from relying on bio-inspired actuators which exhibit natural (muscle-like) characteristics. As of today, when constructing a technical actuator, it is not possible to copy the exact molecular structure of a biological muscle. Alternatively, the question may be put how its characteristics can be realized with known mechanical components. Recently, a mechanical construct for an artificial muscle was proposed, which exhibits hyperbolic force–velocity characteristics. In this paper, we promote the constructing concept which is made by substantiating the mechanical design of biological muscle by a simple model, proving the feasibility of its real-world implementation, and checking their output both for mutual consistency and agreement with biological measurements. In particular, the relations of force, enthalpy rate and mechanical efficiency versus contraction velocity of both the construct’s technical implementation and its numerical model were determined in quick-release experiments. All model predictions for these relations and the hardware results are now in good agreement with the biological literature. We conclude that the construct represents a mechanical concept of natural actuation, which is suitable for laying down some useful suggestions when designing bio-inspired actuators. (paper)

A survey on bio inspired meta heuristic based clustering protocols for wireless sensor networks

Science.gov (United States)

Datta, A.; Nandakumar, S.

2017-11-01

Recent studies have shown that utilizing a mobile sink to harvest and carry data from a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) can improve network operational efficiency as well as maintain uniform energy consumption by the sensor nodes in the network. Due to Sink mobility, the path between two sensor nodes continuously changes and this has a profound effect on the operational longevity of the network and a need arises for a protocol which utilizes minimal resources in maintaining routes between the mobile sink and the sensor nodes. Swarm Intelligence based techniques inspired by the foraging behavior of ants, termites and honey bees can be artificially simulated and utilized to solve real wireless network problems. The author presents a brief survey on various bio inspired swarm intelligence based protocols used in routing data in wireless sensor networks while outlining their general principle and operation.

Operant Conditioning: A Minimal Components Requirement in Artificial Spiking Neurons Designed for Bio-Inspired Robot’s Controller

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André eCyr

2014-07-01

Full Text Available We demonstrate the operant conditioning (OC learning process within a basic bio-inspired robot controller paradigm, using an artificial spiking neural network (ASNN with minimal component count as artificial brain. In biological agents, OC results in behavioral changes that are learned from the consequences of previous actions, using progressive prediction adjustment triggered by reinforcers. In a robotics context, virtual and physical robots may benefit from a similar learning skill when facing unknown environments with no supervision. In this work, we demonstrate that a simple ASNN can efficiently realise many OC scenarios. The elementary learning kernel that we describe relies on a few critical neurons, synaptic links and the integration of habituation and spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP as learning rules. Using four tasks of incremental complexity, our experimental results show that such minimal neural component set may be sufficient to implement many OC procedures. Hence, with the described bio-inspired module, OC can be implemented in a wide range of robot controllers, including those with limited computational resources.

Solar PV. Innovators talking; Zon PV. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on solar PV [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar zon PV.

Smart Grids. Innovators talking; Smart Grids. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on Smart Grids [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar Smart Grids.

Solar PV. Innovators talking; Zon PV. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on solar PV [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar zon PV.

Smart Grids. Innovators talking; Smart Grids. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on Smart Grids [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar Smart Grids.

Optimal Design of a Bio-Inspired Anthropocentric Shoulder Rehabilitator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. K. Mustafa

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the design of a bio-inspired anthropocentric 7-DOF wearable robotic arm for the purpose of stroke rehabilitation. The proposed arm rehabilitator synergistically utilizes the human arm structure with non-invasive kinematically under-deterministic cable-driven mechanisms to form a completely deterministic structure. It offers the advantages of being lightweight and having high dexterity. Adopting an anthropocentric design concept also allows it to conform to the human anatomical structure. The focus of this paper is on the analysis and design of the 3-DOF-shoulder module, called the shoulder rehabilitator. The design methodology is divided into three main steps: (1 performance evaluation of the cable-driven shoulder rehabilitator, (2 performance requirements of the shoulder joint based on its physiological characteristics and (3 design optimization of the shoulder rehabilitator based on shoulder joint physiological limitations. The aim is to determine a suitable configuration for the development of a shoulder rehabilitator prototype.

Bio-inspired composites with functionally graded platelets exhibit enhanced stiffness.

Science.gov (United States)

Tapse, Sanjay; S, Anup

2017-11-09

Unidirectional composites inspired from biological materials such as nacre, are composed of stiff platelets arranged in a staggered manner within a soft matrix. Elaborate analyses have been conducted on the aforementioned composites and they are found to have excellent mechanical properties like stiffness, strength and fracture toughness. The superior properties exhibited by these composites have been proved to be the result of its unique structure. An emerging development in the field of composite structures is Functionally Graded Composites(FGC), whose properties vary spatially and possess enhanced thermo-mechanical properties. In this paper, the platelets are functionally graded with its Young's Modulus varying parabolically along the length. Two different models - namely, Tension Shear Chain Model and Minimisation of Complementary Energy Model have been employed to obtain the stiffness of the overall composite analytically. The effect of various parameters that define the composite model such as overlapping length between any two neighbouring platelets, different gradation parameters and platelet aspect ratio on the overall mechanical properties have been studied. Composites with functionally graded platelets are found to possess enhanced stiffness (upto 14% higher) for certain values of these parameters. The obtained solutions have been validated using Finite Element Analysis. Bio-inspired composites with functionally graded platelets can be engineered for structural applications, such as in automobile, aerospace and aircraft industry, where stiffness plays a crucial role. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Design and development of bio-inspired framework for reservoir operation optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Asvini, M. Sakthi; Amudha, T.

2017-12-01

Frameworks for optimal reservoir operation play an important role in the management of water resources and delivery of economic benefits. Effective utilization and conservation of water from reservoirs helps to manage water deficit periods. The main challenge in reservoir optimization is to design operating rules that can be used to inform real-time decisions on reservoir release. We develop a bio-inspired framework for the optimization of reservoir release to satisfy the diverse needs of various stakeholders. In this work, single-objective optimization and multiobjective optimization problems are formulated using an algorithm known as "strawberry optimization" and tested with actual reservoir data. Results indicate that well planned reservoir operations lead to efficient deployment of the reservoir water with the help of optimal release patterns.

Bio-Inspired Energy-Aware Protocol Design for Cooperative Wireless Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Perrucci, Gian Paolo; Anggraeni, Puri Novelti; Wardana, Satya Ardhy

2011-01-01

In this work, bio-inspired cooperation rules are applied to wireless communication networks. The main goal is to derive cooperative behaviour rules to improve the energy consumption of each mobile device. A medium access control (MAC) protocol particularly designed for peer-to-peer communication...... be achieved by this architecture using game theoretic approaches. As an extension, this work explores the impact of the MAC protocol on the power saving capabilities. This result shows that standard MAC mechanisms are not optimised for the considered cooperative setup. A new MAC protocol is proposed...... among cooperative wireless mobile devices is described. The work is based on a novel communication architecture, where a group of mobile devices are connected both to a cellular base station and among them using short-range communication links. A prior work has investigated the energy saving that can...

Flow around an autonomous underwater vehicle with bio-inspired coating

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Scott; Montoya-Segnini, Jose; Bocanegra Evans, Humberto; Curet, Oscar; Gorumlu, Serdar; Aksak, Burak; Kazemi, Amirkhosro; Chamorro, Leonardo; Castillo, Luciano

2017-11-01

Flow separation plays a major factor in the form drag of a moving object. In particular, suppressing or reducing flow separation is critical in the energy expenditure of autonomous underwater vehicles. Previous research suggests that bio-inspired micro-fibrillar structures are capable of reducing the boundary layer separation in a turbulent flow. Here, we present laboratory measurements using PIV near the wall and in the wake of two submersible vessel models; one had a coating composed of ordered fibers, and the other had smooth walls. Flow characterization with planar PIV included the presence or absence of a tail fin at multiple angles of attack of the vessels. Preliminary results reveal changes of the flow in the wake of the vessel with coating resulting in lower or similar velocity deficit in the wake compared to the smooth vessel.

Bio-inspired color sketch for eco-friendly printing

Science.gov (United States)

Safonov, Ilia V.; Tolstaya, Ekaterina V.; Rychagov, Michael N.; Lee, Hokeun; Kim, Sang Ho; Choi, Donchul

2012-01-01

Saving of toner/ink consumption is an important task in modern printing devices. It has a positive ecological and social impact. We propose technique for converting print-job pictures to a recognizable and pleasant color sketches. Drawing a "pencil sketch" from a photo relates to a special area in image processing and computer graphics - non-photorealistic rendering. We describe a new approach for automatic sketch generation which allows to create well-recognizable sketches and to preserve partly colors of the initial picture. Our sketches contain significantly less color dots then initial images and this helps to save toner/ink. Our bio-inspired approach is based on sophisticated edge detection technique for a mask creation and multiplication of source image with increased contrast by this mask. To construct the mask we use DoG edge detection, which is a result of blending of initial image with its blurred copy through the alpha-channel, which is created from Saliency Map according to Pre-attentive Human Vision model. Measurement of percentage of saved toner and user study proves effectiveness of proposed technique for toner saving in eco-friendly printing mode.

A bio-inspired methodology of identifying influential nodes in complex networks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cai Gao

Full Text Available How to identify influential nodes is a key issue in complex networks. The degree centrality is simple, but is incapable to reflect the global characteristics of networks. Betweenness centrality and closeness centrality do not consider the location of nodes in the networks, and semi-local centrality, leaderRank and pageRank approaches can be only applied in unweighted networks. In this paper, a bio-inspired centrality measure model is proposed, which combines the Physarum centrality with the K-shell index obtained by K-shell decomposition analysis, to identify influential nodes in weighted networks. Then, we use the Susceptible-Infected (SI model to evaluate the performance. Examples and applications are given to demonstrate the adaptivity and efficiency of the proposed method. In addition, the results are compared with existing methods.

A Bio-Inspired Approach to Alarm Malware Attacks in Mobile Handsets

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Taejin; Park, Taejoon

With proliferation of smart handsets capable of mobile Internet, the severity of malware attacks targeting such handsets is rapidly increasing, thereby requiring effective countermeasure for them. However, existing signature-based solutions are not suitable for resource-poor handsets due to the excessive run-time overhead of matching against ever-increasing malware pattern database as well as the limitation of detecting well-known malware only. To overcome these drawbacks, we present a bio-inspired approach to discriminate malware (non-self) from normal programs (self) by replicating the processes of biological immune system. Our proposed approach achieves superior performance in terms of detecting 83.7% of new malware or their variants and scalable storage requirement that grows very slowly with inclusion of new malware, making it attractive for use with mobile handsets.

Offshore wind energy. Innovators talking; Wind op zee. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on offshore wind energy [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar wind op zee.

Offshore wind energy. Innovators talking; Wind op zee. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on offshore wind energy [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar wind op zee.

Engineered bio-inspired coating for reduction of flow separation

Science.gov (United States)

Bocanegra Evans, Humberto; Hamed, Ali M.; Gorumlu, Serdar; Doosttalab, Ali; Aksak, Burak; Chamorro, Leonardo P.; Castillo, Luciano

2017-11-01

Flow control using passive strategies has received notable attention in the last decades as a way to increase mixing and reduce skin drag, among others. Here, we present a bio-inspired coating, composed by uniformly distributed pillars with diverging tips, that is able to reduce the recirculation region in highly separated flows. This is demonstrated with laboratory experiments in a refractive index-matching flume at Reynolds number Reθ 1200 . The flow over an expanding channel following a S835 wing section was characterized with the coating and with smooth walls. High-resolution, wall-normal particle image velocimetry show a significant reduction of the reversed flow with the coating, where the region with reverse flow was reduced by 60 % . The performance of the micro-scale coating is surprising since the size of the fibers are nearly coincident with the viscous length scale (k+ 1). Additionally, the flow control properties of the surface do not depend on hydrophobicity, giving the coating the capability to work in both air and water media.

Quality-of-service sensitivity to bio-inspired/evolutionary computational methods for intrusion detection in wireless ad hoc multimedia sensor networks

Science.gov (United States)

Hortos, William S.

2012-06-01

In the author's previous work, a cross-layer protocol approach to wireless sensor network (WSN) intrusion detection an identification is created with multiple bio-inspired/evolutionary computational methods applied to the functions of the protocol layers, a single method to each layer, to improve the intrusion-detection performance of the protocol over that of one method applied to only a single layer's functions. The WSN cross-layer protocol design embeds GAs, anti-phase synchronization, ACO, and a trust model based on quantized data reputation at the physical, MAC, network, and application layer, respectively. The construct neglects to assess the net effect of the combined bioinspired methods on the quality-of-service (QoS) performance for "normal" data streams, that is, streams without intrusions. Analytic expressions of throughput, delay, and jitter, coupled with simulation results for WSNs free of intrusion attacks, are the basis for sensitivity analyses of QoS metrics for normal traffic to the bio-inspired methods.

Multi-Locomotion Robotic Systems New Concepts of Bio-inspired Robotics

CERN Document Server

Fukuda, Toshio; Sekiyama, Kosuke; Aoyama, Tadayoshi

2012-01-01

Nowadays, multiple attention have been paid on a robot working in the human living environment, such as in the field of medical, welfare, entertainment and so on. Various types of researches are being conducted actively in a variety of fields such as artificial intelligence, cognitive engineering, sensor- technology, interfaces and motion control. In the future, it is expected to realize super high functional human-like robot by integrating technologies in various fields including these types of researches. The book represents new developments and advances in the field of bio-inspired robotics research introducing the state of the art, the idea of multi-locomotion robotic system to implement the diversity of animal motion. It covers theoretical and computational aspects of Passive Dynamic Autonomous Control (PDAC), robot motion control, multi legged walking and climbing as well as brachiation focusing concrete robot systems, components and applications. In addition, gorilla type robot systems are described as...

Bio-inspired materials engineering using polysaccharide based biotemplates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zollfrank, C.

2007-01-01

Nano-structured materials with a controlled microstructure and tailored properties at a scale below 100 nm are of interest for applications in micro-mechanical, sensor and biomedical devices. In contrast to top-down manufacturing processes the formation of solid matter structures in nature is templated and directed by biomacromolecules such as polysaccharides and polypeptides. A promising biomimetic route for the directed deposition of ceramic materials is the application of anisotropically structured biomacromolecules as patterned templates. The polysaccharides exhibit a hierarchical multi scale order as well as self-assembly properties. The bio-inspired deposition and formation of ceramic phases on biomolecular polysaccharide templates was investigated. The polysaccharides were used at various structural levels from the molecular scale up to three-dimensional parts in the millimetre range. The versatility of polysaccharide shaping capabilities was explored using dissolved polysaccharide molecules as well as thin films for the or simultaneous or successive formation of inorganic mineral phases. Microalgae with a spherical appearance of 5 micro-m were applied in mineralisation studies. The extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) layers on the microalgae were used as biotemplates for manufacturing of functional ceramics. The obtained results on the mineralisation of inorganic phases on polysaccharides are adapted for novel biomimetic routes used in the fabrication for functional and biomedical ceramics. (author)

Vibro-Perception of Optical Bio-Inspired Fiber-Skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tao; Zhang, Sheng; Lu, Guo-Wei; Sunami, Yuta

2018-05-12

In this research, based on the principle of optical interferometry, the Mach-Zehnder and Optical Phase-locked Loop (OPLL) vibro-perception systems of bio-inspired fiber-skin are designed to mimic the tactile perception of human skin. The fiber-skin is made of the optical fiber embedded in the silicone elastomer. The optical fiber is an instinctive and alternative sensor for tactile perception with high sensitivity and reliability, also low cost and susceptibility to the magnetic interference. The silicone elastomer serves as a substrate with high flexibility and biocompatibility, and the optical fiber core serves as the vibro-perception sensor to detect physical motions like tapping and sliding. According to the experimental results, the designed optical fiber-skin demonstrates the ability to detect the physical motions like tapping and sliding in both the Mach-Zehnder and OPLL vibro-perception systems. For direct contact condition, the OPLL vibro-perception system shows better performance compared with the Mach-Zehnder vibro-perception system. However, the Mach-Zehnder vibro-perception system is preferable to the OPLL system in the indirect contact experiment. In summary, the fiber-skin is validated to have light touch character and excellent repeatability, which is highly-suitable for skin-mimic sensing.

BioMAV : Bio-inspired intelligence for autonomous flight

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gerke, P.K.; Langevoort, J.; Lagarde, S.; Bax, L.; Grootswagers, T.; Drenth, R.J.; Slieker, V.; Vuurpijl, L.; Haselager, P.; Sprinkhuizen-Kuyper, I.; Van Otterlo, M.; De Croon, G.C.H.E.

2011-01-01

This paper aims to contribute to research on biologically inspired micro air vehicles in two ways: (i) it explores a novel repertoire of behavioral modules which can be controlled through ?nite state machines (FSM) and (ii) elementary movement detectors (EMD) are combined with a center/surround edge

Catalytic Water Oxidation by a Bio-inspired Nickel Complex with Redox Active Ligand

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dong; Bruner, Charlie O.

2017-01-01

The oxidation of water to dioxygen is important in natural photosynthesis. One of nature’s strategies for managing such multi-electron transfer reactions is to employ redox active metal-organic cofactor arrays. One prototype example is the copper-tyrosinate active site found in galactose oxidase. In this work, we have implemented such a strategy to develop a bio-inspired nickel-phenolate complex capable of catalyzing the oxidation of water to O2 electrochemically at neutral pH with a modest overpotential. The employment of the redox-active ligand turned out to be a useful strategy to avoid the formation of high-valent nickel intermediates while a reasonable turnover rate (0.15 s−1) is retained. PMID:29099176

Bio-inspired engineering of cell- and virus-like nanoparticles for drug delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Parodi, Alessandro; Molinaro, Roberto; Sushnitha, Manuela; Evangelopoulos, Michael; Martinez, Jonathan O; Arrighetti, Noemi; Corbo, Claudia; Tasciotti, Ennio

2017-12-01

The engineering of future generations of nanodelivery systems aims at the creation of multifunctional vectors endowed with improved circulation, enhanced targeting and responsiveness to the biological environment. Moving past purely bio-inert systems, researchers have begun to create nanoparticles capable of proactively interacting with the biology of the body. Nature offers a wide-range of sources of inspiration for the synthesis of more effective drug delivery platforms. Because the nano-bio-interface is the key driver of nanoparticle behavior and function, the modification of nanoparticles' surfaces allows the transfer of biological properties to synthetic carriers by imparting them with a biological identity. Modulation of these surface characteristics governs nanoparticle interactions with the biological barriers they encounter. Building off these observations, we provide here an overview of virus- and cell-derived biomimetic delivery systems that combine the intrinsic hallmarks of biological membranes with the delivery capabilities of synthetic carriers. We describe the features and properties of biomimetic delivery systems, recapitulating the distinctive traits and functions of viruses, exosomes, platelets, red and white blood cells. By mimicking these biological entities, we will learn how to more efficiently interact with the human body and refine our ability to negotiate with the biological barriers that impair the therapeutic efficacy of nanoparticles. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Design and Analysis of a Bio-Inspired Wire-Driven Multi-Section Flexible Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Li

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a bio-inspired wire-driven multi-section flexible robot. It is inspired by the snake skeleton and octopus arm muscle arrangements. The robot consists of three sections and each section is made up of several identical vertebras, which are articulated by both spherical joints and a flexible backbone. Each section is driven by two groups of wires, controlling the bending motion in X and Y directions. This design integrates the serpentine robots' structure and the continuum robots' actuation. As a result, it is more compact than traditional serpentine robots and has a higher positioning accuracy than typical continuum soft robots, such as OctArm V. A Kinematics model and a workspace model of the robot are developed based on the piece wise constant curvature assumption. To evaluate the design, a prototype is built and experiments are carried out. The average distal end positioning error is less than 4%. Characteristics of the wire-driven robot are also discussed, including the leverage effect and the manipulability under constraint. These features makes the proposed robot well suited to confined spaces, especially for working in minimally invasive surgery, nuclear reactor pipelines, disaster debris, etc.

An Advanced Bio-Inspired PhotoPlethysmoGraphy (PPG) and ECG Pattern Recognition System for Medical Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rundo, Francesco; Conoci, Sabrina; Ortis, Alessandro; Battiato, Sebastiano

2018-01-30

Physiological signals are widely used to perform medical assessment for monitoring an extensive range of pathologies, usually related to cardio-vascular diseases. Among these, both PhotoPlethysmoGraphy (PPG) and Electrocardiography (ECG) signals are those more employed. PPG signals are an emerging non-invasive measurement technique used to study blood volume pulsations through the detection and analysis of the back-scattered optical radiation coming from the skin. ECG is the process of recording the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time using electrodes placed on the skin. In the present paper we propose a physiological ECG/PPG "combo" pipeline using an innovative bio-inspired nonlinear system based on a reaction-diffusion mathematical model, implemented by means of the Cellular Neural Network (CNN) methodology, to filter PPG signal by assigning a recognition score to the waveforms in the time series. The resulting "clean" PPG signal exempts from distortion and artifacts is used to validate for diagnostic purpose an EGC signal simultaneously detected for a same patient. The multisite combo PPG-ECG system proposed in this work overpasses the limitations of the state of the art in this field providing a reliable system for assessing the above-mentioned physiological parameters and their monitoring over time for robust medical assessment. The proposed system has been validated and the results confirmed the robustness of the proposed approach.

A bio-inspired memory model for structural health monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Wei; Zhu, Yong

2009-01-01

Long-term structural health monitoring (SHM) systems need intelligent management of the monitoring data. By analogy with the way the human brain processes memories, we present a bio-inspired memory model (BIMM) that does not require prior knowledge of the structure parameters. The model contains three time-domain areas: a sensory memory area, a short-term memory area and a long-term memory area. First, the initial parameters of the structural state are specified to establish safety criteria. Then the large amount of monitoring data that falls within the safety limits is filtered while the data outside the safety limits are captured instantly in the sensory memory area. Second, disturbance signals are distinguished from danger signals in the short-term memory area. Finally, the stable data of the structural balance state are preserved in the long-term memory area. A strategy for priority scheduling via fuzzy c-means for the proposed model is then introduced. An experiment on bridge tower deformation demonstrates that the proposed model can be applied for real-time acquisition, limited-space storage and intelligent mining of the monitoring data in a long-term SHM system

A bio-inspired memory model for structural health monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Wei; Zhu, Yong

2009-04-01

Long-term structural health monitoring (SHM) systems need intelligent management of the monitoring data. By analogy with the way the human brain processes memories, we present a bio-inspired memory model (BIMM) that does not require prior knowledge of the structure parameters. The model contains three time-domain areas: a sensory memory area, a short-term memory area and a long-term memory area. First, the initial parameters of the structural state are specified to establish safety criteria. Then the large amount of monitoring data that falls within the safety limits is filtered while the data outside the safety limits are captured instantly in the sensory memory area. Second, disturbance signals are distinguished from danger signals in the short-term memory area. Finally, the stable data of the structural balance state are preserved in the long-term memory area. A strategy for priority scheduling via fuzzy c-means for the proposed model is then introduced. An experiment on bridge tower deformation demonstrates that the proposed model can be applied for real-time acquisition, limited-space storage and intelligent mining of the monitoring data in a long-term SHM system.

Energy conservation in the industry. Innovators talking; Energiebesparing in de industrie. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on energy conservation in the industry [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar energiebesparing in de industrie.

CERN - Six Decades of Science, Innovation, Cooperation, and Inspiration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quigg, Chris [Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)

2014-09-01

The European Laboratory for Particle Physics, which straddles the Swiss-French border northwest of Geneva, celebrates its sixtieth birthday in 2014 CERN is the preeminent particle-physics institution in the world, currently emphasizing the study of collisions of protons and heavy nuclei at very high energies and the exploration of physics on the electroweak scale (energies where electromagnetism and the weak nuclear force merge). With brilliant accomplishments in research, innovation, and education, and a sustained history of cooperation among people from different countries and cultures, CERN ranks as one of the signal achievements of the postwar European Project. For physicists the world over, the laboratory is a source of pride and inspiration.

Bio-inspired Miniature Suction Cups Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hu Bing-shan

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Wall climbing robots using negative pressure suction always employ air pumps which have great noise and large volume. Two prototypes of bio-inspired miniature suction cup actuated by shape memory alloy (SMA are designed based on studying characteristics of biologic suction apparatuses, and the suction cups in this paper can be used as adhesion mechanisms for miniature wall climbing robots without air pumps. The first prototype with a two-way shape memory effect (TWSME extension TiNi spring imitates the piston structure of the stalked sucker; the second one actuated by a one way SMA actuator with a bias has a basic structure of stiff margin, guiding element, leader and elastic element. Analytical model of the second prototype is founded considering the constitutive model of the SMA actuator, the deflection of the thin elastic plate under compound load and the thermo-dynamic model of the sealed air cavity. Experiments are done to test their suction characteristics, and the analytical model of the second prototype is simulated on Matlab/simulink platform and validated by experiments.

Bio-inspired adaptive feedback error learning architecture for motor control.

Science.gov (United States)

Tolu, Silvia; Vanegas, Mauricio; Luque, Niceto R; Garrido, Jesús A; Ros, Eduardo

2012-10-01

This study proposes an adaptive control architecture based on an accurate regression method called Locally Weighted Projection Regression (LWPR) and on a bio-inspired module, such as a cerebellar-like engine. This hybrid architecture takes full advantage of the machine learning module (LWPR kernel) to abstract an optimized representation of the sensorimotor space while the cerebellar component integrates this to generate corrective terms in the framework of a control task. Furthermore, we illustrate how the use of a simple adaptive error feedback term allows to use the proposed architecture even in the absence of an accurate analytic reference model. The presented approach achieves an accurate control with low gain corrective terms (for compliant control schemes). We evaluate the contribution of the different components of the proposed scheme comparing the obtained performance with alternative approaches. Then, we show that the presented architecture can be used for accurate manipulation of different objects when their physical properties are not directly known by the controller. We evaluate how the scheme scales for simulated plants of high Degrees of Freedom (7-DOFs).

Bio-inspired Miniature Suction Cups Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hu Bing-Shan

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Wall climbing robots using negative pressure suction always employ air pumps which have great noise and large volume. Two prototypes of bio-inspired miniature suction cup actuated by shape memory alloy (SMA are designed based on studying characteristics of biologic suction apparatuses, and the suction cups in this paper can be used as adhesion mechanisms for miniature wall climbing robots without air pumps. The first prototype with a two-way shape memory effect (TWSME extension TiNi spring imitates the piston structure of the stalked sucker; the second one actuated by a one way SMA actuator with a bias has a basic structure of stiff margin, guiding element, leader and elastic element. Analytical model of the second prototype is founded considering the constitutive model of the SMA actuator, the deflection of the thin elastic plate under compound load and the thermo-dynamic model of the sealed air cavity. Experiments are done to test their suction characteristics, and the analytical model of the second prototype is simulated on Matlab/simulink platform and validated by experiments.

Control of Flow Structure on Non-Slender Delta Wing: Bio-inspired Edge Modifications, Passive Bleeding, and Pulsed Blowing

Science.gov (United States)

Yavuz, Mehmet Metin; Celik, Alper; Cetin, Cenk

2016-11-01

In the present study, different flow control approaches including bio-inspired edge modifications, passive bleeding, and pulsed blowing are introduced and applied for the flow over non-slender delta wing. Experiments are conducted in a low speed wind tunnel for a 45 degree swept delta wing using qualitative and quantitative measurement techniques including laser illuminated smoke visualization, particle image velocimety (PIV), and surface pressure measurements. For the bio-inspired edge modifications, the edges of the wing are modified to dolphin fluke geometry. In addition, the concept of flexion ratio, a ratio depending on the flexible length of animal propulsors such as wings, is introduced. For passive bleeding, directing the free stream air from the pressure side of the planform to the suction side of the wing is applied. For pulsed blowing, periodic air injection through the leading edge of the wing is performed in a square waveform with 25% duty cycle at different excitation frequencies and compared with the steady and no blowing cases. The results indicate that each control approach is quite effective in terms of altering the overall flow structure on the planform. However, the success level, considering the elimination of stall or delaying the vortex breakdown, depends on the parameters in each method.

A Bio-Inspired Herbal Tea Flavour Assessment Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nur Zawatil Isqi Zakaria

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Herbal-based products are becoming a widespread production trend among manufacturers for the domestic and international markets. As the production increases to meet the market demand, it is very crucial for the manufacturer to ensure that their products have met specific criteria and fulfil the intended quality determined by the quality controller. One famous herbal-based product is herbal tea. This paper investigates bio-inspired flavour assessments in a data fusion framework involving an e-nose and e-tongue. The objectives are to attain good classification of different types and brands of herbal tea, classification of different flavour masking effects and finally classification of different concentrations of herbal tea. Two data fusion levels were employed in this research, low level data fusion and intermediate level data fusion. Four classification approaches; LDA, SVM, KNN and PNN were examined in search of the best classifier to achieve the research objectives. In order to evaluate the classifiers’ performance, an error estimator based on k-fold cross validation and leave-one-out were applied. Classification based on GC-MS TIC data was also included as a comparison to the classification performance using fusion approaches. Generally, KNN outperformed the other classification techniques for the three flavour assessments in the low level data fusion and intermediate level data fusion. However, the classification results based on GC-MS TIC data are varied.

Technological change of the energy innovation system: From oil-based to bio-based energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wonglimpiyarat, Jarunee

2010-01-01

This paper concerns the structural developments and the direction of technological change of the energy innovation system, based on the studies of Kuhn's model of scientific change and Schumpeter's model of technological change. The paper uses the case study of Thai government agencies for understanding the way governments can facilitate technological innovation. The analyses are based on a pre-foresight exercise to examine the potential of the bio-based energy and investigate a set of development policies necessary for the direction of energy system development. The results have shown that bio-based energy is seen as the next new wave for future businesses and one of the solutions to the problem of high oil prices to improve the world's economic security and sustainable development. (author)

Design and development of a bio-inspired, under-actuated soft gripper.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, Taimoor; Manti, Mariangela; Passetti, Giovanni; d'Elia, Nicolò; Cianchetti, Matteo; Laschi, Cecilia

2015-08-01

The development of robotic devices able to perform manipulation tasks mimicking the human hand has been assessed on large scale. This work stands in the challenging scenario where soft materials are combined with bio-inspired design in order to develop soft grippers with improved grasping and holding capabilities. We are going to show a low-cost, under-actuated and adaptable soft gripper, highlighting the design and the manufacturing process. In particular, a critical analysis is made among three versions of the gripper with same design and actuation mechanism, but based on different materials. A novel actuation principle has been implemented in both cases, in order to reduce the encumbrance of the entire system and improve its aesthetics. Grasping and holding capabilities have been tested for each device, with target objects varying in shape, size and material. Results highlight synergy between the geometry and the intrinsic properties of the soft material, showing the way to novel design principles for soft grippers.

Data-Foraging-Oriented Reconnaissance Based on Bio-Inspired Indirect Communication for Aerial Vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josué Castañeda Cisneros

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In recent years, aerial vehicles have allowed exploring scenarios with harsh conditions. These can conduct reconnaissance tasks in areas that change periodically and have a high spatial and temporal resolution. The objective of a reconnaissance task is to survey an area and retrieve strategic information. The aerial vehicles, however, have inherent constraints in terms of energy and transmission range due to their mobility. Despite these constraints, the Data Foraging problem requires the aerial vehicles to exchange information about profitable data sources. In Data Foraging, establishing a single path is not viable because of dynamic conditions of the environment. Thus, reconnaissance must be focused on periodically searching profitable environmental data sources, as some animals perform foraging. In this work, a data-foraging-oriented reconnaissance algorithm based on bio-inspired indirect communication for aerial vehicles is presented. The approach establishes several paths that overlap to identify valuable data sources. Inspired by the stigmergy principle, the aerial vehicles indirectly communicate through artificial pheromones. The aerial vehicles traverse the environment using a heuristic algorithm that uses the artificial pheromones as feedback. The solution is formally defined and mathematically evaluated. In addition, we show the viability of the algorithm by simulations which have been tested through various statistical hypothesis.

Improvement to the pattern of control rods of the equilibrium cycle of 18 months for the CLV using bio-inspired algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perusquia, R.; Ortiz, J.J.; Montes, J.L.

2003-01-01

Nowadays in the National Institute of Nuclear Research are carried out studies with some bio-inspired optimization techniques to improve the performance of the fuel cycles of the boiling water reactors of the Laguna Verde power plant (CLV). In the present work two bio-inspired techniques were applied with the purpose of improving the performance of a balance cycle of 18 months developed for the CLV: genetic algorithms (AG) and systems based on ants colonies (SCH). The design of the reference cycle it represents in several aspects an optimal cycle proposed starting from the experience of several operation decades with the boiling water reactors (BWR initials for Boiling Water Reactor) in the world. To try to improve their performance is beforehand a difficult challenge and it puts on test the feasibility of the optimization methods in the reloads design. The study of the bio-inspired techniques was centered exclusively on the obtaining of the control rod patterns (PBC) trying to overcome the capacity factor reached in the design of the reference cycle. It was fixed the cycle length such that the decrease of the coast down period would represent an increase of the capacity factor of the cycle; so that, it diminishes the annual cost associated with the capital cost of the plant. As consequence of the study, was found that the algorithm based on the ants colonies reaches to diminish the coast down period in five and half days respect to the original balance cycle, what represents an annual saving of $US 74,000. Since the original cycle was optimized, the above-mentioned, shows the ability of the SCH for the optimization of the cycle design. With the AG it was reach to approach to the original balance cycle with a coast down period greater in seven days estimating an annual penalization of $US 130,000. (Author)

Energy conservation in the built environment. Innovators talking; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on energy conservation in the built environment [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving.

Design and Characterization of a Novel Bio-inspired Hair Flow Sensor Based on Resonant Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, X.; Yang, B.; Wang, Q. H.; Lu, C. F.; Hu, D.

2018-03-01

Flow sensors inspired by the natural hair sensing mechanism have great prospect in the research of micro-autonomous system and technology (MAST) for the three-dimensional structure characteristics with high spatial and quality utilization. A novel bio-inspired hair flow sensor (BHFS) based on resonant sensing with a unique asymmetric design is presented in this paper. A hair transducer and a signal detector which is constituted of a two-stage micro-leverage mechanism and two symmetrical resonators (double ended tuning fork, DETF) are adopted to realize the high sensitivity to air flow. The sensitivity of the proposed BHFS is improved significantly than the published ones due to the high sensitivity of resonators and the higher amplification factor possessed by the two-stage micro-leverage mechanism. The standard deep dry silicon on glass (DDSOG) process is chosen to fabricate the proposed BHFS. The experiment result demonstrates that the fabricated BHFS has a mechanical sensitivity of 5.26 Hz/(m/s)2 at a resonant frequency of 22 kHz with the hair height of 6 mm.

Aerodynamics of a bio-inspired flexible flapping-wing micro air vehicle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakata, T; Liu, H; Nishihashi, N; Wang, X; Sato, A; Tanaka, Y

2011-01-01

MAVs (micro air vehicles) with a maximal dimension of 15 cm and nominal flight speeds of around 10 m s −1 , operate in a Reynolds number regime of 10 5 or lower, in which most natural flyers including insects, bats and birds fly. Furthermore, due to their light weight and low flight speed, the MAVs' flight characteristics are substantially affected by environmental factors such as wind gust. Like natural flyers, the wing structures of MAVs are often flexible and tend to deform during flight. Consequently, the aero/fluid and structural dynamics of these flyers are closely linked to each other, making the entire flight vehicle difficult to analyze. We have recently developed a hummingbird-inspired, flapping flexible wing MAV with a weight of 2.4–3.0 g and a wingspan of 10–12 cm. In this study, we carry out an integrated study of the flexible wing aerodynamics of this flapping MAV by combining an in-house computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method and wind tunnel experiments. A CFD model that has a realistic wing planform and can mimic realistic flexible wing kinematics is established, which provides a quantitative prediction of unsteady aerodynamics of the four-winged MAV in terms of vortex and wake structures and their relationship with aerodynamic force generation. Wind tunnel experiments further confirm the effectiveness of the clap and fling mechanism employed in this bio-inspired MAV as well as the importance of the wing flexibility in designing small flapping-wing MAVs.

A bio-inspired asynchronous skin system for crack detection applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharp, Nathan; Kuntz, Alan; Brubaker, Cole; Amos, Stephanie; Gao, Wei; Gupta, Gautum; Mohite, Aditya; Farrar, Charles; Mascareñas, David

2014-01-01

In many applications of structural health monitoring (SHM) it is imperative or advantageous to have large sensor arrays in order to properly sense the state of health of the structure. Typically these sensor networks are implemented by placing a large number of sensors over a structure and running individual cables from each sensor back to a central measurement station. Data is then collected from each sensor on the network at a constant sampling rate regardless of the current timescales at which events are acting on the structure. These conventional SHM sensor networks have a number of shortfalls. They tend to have a large number of cables that can represent a single point of failure for each sensor as well as add significant weight and installation costs. The constant sampling rate associated with each sensor very quickly leads to large amounts of data that must be analyzed, stored, and possibly transmitted to a remote user. This leads to increased demands on power consumption, bandwidth, and size. It also taxes our current techniques for managing large amounts of data. For the last decade the goal of the SHM community has been to endow structures with the functionality of a biological nervous system. Despite this goal the community has predominantly ignored the biological nervous system as inspiration for building structural nervous systems, choosing instead to focus on experimental mechanics and simulation techniques. In this work we explore the use of a novel, bio-inspired, SHM skin. This skin makes use of distributed computing and asynchronous communication techniques to alleviate the scale of the data management challenge as well as reduce power. The system also periodically sends a ‘heat beat’ signal to provide state-of-health updates. This conductive skin was implemented using conductive ink resistors as well as with graphene-oxide capacitors. (paper)

Energy conservation in the industry. Innovators talking; Energiebesparing in de industrie. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on energy conservation in the industry [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar energiebesparing in de industrie.

Catalytic Water Oxidation by a Bio-inspired Nickel Complex with a Redox-Active Ligand.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dong; Bruner, Charlie O

2017-11-20

The oxidation of water (H 2 O) to dioxygen (O 2 ) is important in natural photosynthesis. One of nature's strategies for managing such multi-electron transfer reactions is to employ redox-active metal-organic cofactor arrays. One prototype example is the copper tyrosinate active site found in galactose oxidase. In this work, we have implemented such a strategy to develop a bio-inspired nickel phenolate complex capable of catalyzing the oxidation of H 2 O to O 2 electrochemically at neutral pH with a modest overpotential. Employment of the redox-active ligand turned out to be a useful strategy to avoid the formation of high-valent nickel intermediates while a reasonable turnover rate (0.15 s -1 ) is retained.

Bio-inspired patterned networks (BIPS) for development of wearable/disposable biosensors

Science.gov (United States)

McLamore, E. S.; Convertino, M.; Hondred, John; Das, Suprem; Claussen, J. C.; Vanegas, D. C.; Gomes, C.

2016-05-01

Here we demonstrate a novel approach for fabricating point of care (POC) wearable electrochemical biosensors based on 3D patterning of bionanocomposite networks. To create Bio-Inspired Patterned network (BIPS) electrodes, we first generate fractal network in silico models that optimize transport of network fluxes according to an energy function. Network patterns are then inkjet printed onto flexible substrate using conductive graphene ink. We then deposit fractal nanometal structures onto the graphene to create a 3D nanocomposite network. Finally, we biofunctionalize the surface with biorecognition agents using covalent bonding. In this paper, BIPS are used to develop high efficiency, low cost biosensors for measuring glucose as a proof of concept. Our results on the fundamental performance of BIPS sensors show that the biomimetic nanostructures significantly enhance biosensor sensitivity, accuracy, response time, limit of detection, and hysteresis compared to conventional POC non fractal electrodes (serpentine, interdigitated, and screen printed electrodes). BIPs, in particular Apollonian patterned BIPS, represent a new generation of POC biosensors based on nanoscale and microscale fractal networks that significantly improve electrical connectivity, leading to enhanced sensor performance.

Medical Image Registration by means of a Bio-Inspired Optimization Strategy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hariton Costin

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Medical imaging mainly treats and processes missing, ambiguous, complementary, redundant and distorted data. Biomedical image registration is the process of geometric overlaying or alignment of two or more 2D/3D images of the same scene, taken at different time slots, from different angles, and/or by different acquisition systems. In medical practice, it is becoming increasingly important in diagnosis, treatment planning, functional studies, computer-guided therapies, and in biomedical research. Technically, image registration implies a complex optimization of different parameters, performed at local or/and global levels. Local optimization methods frequently fail because functions of the involved metrics with respect to transformation parameters are generally nonconvex and irregular. Therefore, global methods are often required, at least at the beginning of the procedure. In this paper, a new evolutionary and bio-inspired approach -- bacterial foraging optimization -- is adapted for single-slice to 3-D PET and CT multimodal image registration. Preliminary results of optimizing the normalized mutual information similarity metric validated the efficacy of the proposed method by using a freely available medical image database.

Interactions of Bio-Inspired Membranes with Peptides and Peptide-Mimetic Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Sebastiano

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Via Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD and implicit solvent coarse-grained (CG Molecular Dynamics (MD we examine the interaction of an amphiphilic cell-penetrating peptide PMLKE and its synthetic counterpart with a bio-inspired membrane. We use the DPD technique to investigate the interaction of peptide-mimetic nanoparticles, or nanopins, with a three-component membrane. The CG MD approach is used to investigate the interaction of a cell-penetrating peptide PMLKE with single-component membrane. We observe the spontaneous binding and subsequent insertion of peptide and nanopin in the membrane by using CG MD and DPD approaches, respectively. In addition, we find that the insertion of peptide and nanopins is mainly driven by the favorable enthalpic interactions between the hydrophobic components of the peptide, or nanopin, and the membrane. Our study provides insights into the mechanism underlying the interactions of amphiphilic peptide and peptide-mimetic nanoparticles with a membrane. The result of this study can be used to guide the functional integration of peptide and peptide-mimetic nanoparticles with a cell membrane.

Fusion of nacre, mussel, and lotus leaf: bio-inspired graphene composite paper with multifunctional integration

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Da; Yang, Qinglin; Guo, Lin; Dou, Shixue; Liu, Kesong; Jiang, Lei

2013-06-01

Multifunctional integration is an inherent characteristic for biological materials with multiscale structures. Learning from nature is an effective approach for scientists and engineers to construct multifunctional materials. In nature, mollusks (abalone), mussels, and the lotus have evolved different and optimized solutions to survive. Here, bio-inspired multifunctional graphene composite paper was fabricated in situ through the fusion of the different biological solutions from nacre (brick-and-mortar structure), mussel adhesive protein (adhesive property and reducing character), and the lotus leaf (self-cleaning effect). Owing to the special properties (self-polymerization, reduction, and adhesion), dopamine could be simultaneously used as a reducing agent for graphene oxide and as an adhesive, similar to the mortar in nacre, to crosslink the adjacent graphene. The resultant nacre-like graphene paper exhibited stable superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and remarkable mechanical properties underwater.Multifunctional integration is an inherent characteristic for biological materials with multiscale structures. Learning from nature is an effective approach for scientists and engineers to construct multifunctional materials. In nature, mollusks (abalone), mussels, and the lotus have evolved different and optimized solutions to survive. Here, bio-inspired multifunctional graphene composite paper was fabricated in situ through the fusion of the different biological solutions from nacre (brick-and-mortar structure), mussel adhesive protein (adhesive property and reducing character), and the lotus leaf (self-cleaning effect). Owing to the special properties (self-polymerization, reduction, and adhesion), dopamine could be simultaneously used as a reducing agent for graphene oxide and as an adhesive, similar to the mortar in nacre, to crosslink the adjacent graphene. The resultant nacre-like graphene paper exhibited stable superhydrophobicity, self

Bio-inspired CO2 reduction by a rhenium tricarbonyl bipyridine-based catalyst appended to amino acids and peptidic platforms: incorporating proton relays and hydrogen-bonding functional groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Chabolla, S A; Machan, C W; Yin, J; Dellamary, E A; Sahu, S; Gianneschi, N C; Gilson, M K; Tezcan, F A; Kubiak, C P

2017-06-02

Herein, we report a new approach to bio-inspired catalyst design. The molecular catalyst employed in these studies is based on the robust and selective Re(bpy)(CO) 3 Cl-type (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) homogeneous catalysts, which have been extensively studied for their ability to reduce CO 2 electrochemically or photochemically in the presence of a photosensitizer. These catalysts can be highly active photocatalysts in their own right. In this work, the bipyridine ligand was modified with amino acids and synthetic peptides. These results build on earlier findings wherein the bipyridine ligand was functionalized with amide groups to promote dimer formation and CO 2 reduction by an alternate bimolecular mechanism at lower overpotential (ca. 250 mV) than the more commonly observed unimolecular process. The bio-inspired catalysts were designed to allow for the incorporation of proton relays to support reduction of CO 2 to CO and H 2 O. The coupling of amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine led to the formation of two structurally similar Re catalyst/peptide catalysts for comparison of proton transport during catalysis. This article reports the synthesis and characterization of novel catalyst/peptide hybrids by molecular dynamics (MD simulations of structural dynamics), NMR studies of solution phase structures, and electrochemical studies to measure the activities of new bio-inspired catalysts in the reduction of CO 2.

Dynamic analysis of a bio-inspired climbing robot using ADAMS-Simulink co-simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Chattopadhyay, P.; Dikshit, H.; Majumder, A.; Ghoshal, S.; Maity, A.

2018-04-01

Climbing robot has been an area of interest since the demand of inspection of pipeline, nuclear power plant, and various big structure is growing up rapidly. This paper represents the development of a bio-inspired modular robot which mimics inchworm locomotion during climbing. In the present paper, the climbing motion is achieved only on a flat vertical plane by magnetic adhesion principle. The robot is modelled as a 4-link planar mechanism with three revolute joints actuated by DC servo motors. Sinusoidal gait pattern is used to approximate the motion of an inchworm. The dynamics of the robot is presented by using ADAMS/MATLAB co-simulation methodology. The simulation result gives the maximum value of joint torque during one complete cycle of motion. This torque value is used for the selection of servo motor specifications required to build the prototype.

Obstacle traversal and self-righting of bio-inspired robots reveal the physics of multi-modal locomotion

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chen; Fearing, Ronald; Full, Robert

Most animals move in nature in a variety of locomotor modes. For example, to traverse obstacles like dense vegetation, cockroaches can climb over, push across, reorient their bodies to maneuver through slits, or even transition among these modes forming diverse locomotor pathways; if flipped over, they can also self-right using wings or legs to generate body pitch or roll. By contrast, most locomotion studies have focused on a single mode such as running, walking, or jumping, and robots are still far from capable of life-like, robust, multi-modal locomotion in the real world. Here, we present two recent studies using bio-inspired robots, together with new locomotion energy landscapes derived from locomotor-environment interaction physics, to begin to understand the physics of multi-modal locomotion. (1) Our experiment of a cockroach-inspired legged robot traversing grass-like beam obstacles reveals that, with a terradynamically ``streamlined'' rounded body like that of the insect, robot traversal becomes more probable by accessing locomotor pathways that overcome lower potential energy barriers. (2) Our experiment of a cockroach-inspired self-righting robot further suggests that body vibrations are crucial for exploring locomotion energy landscapes and reaching lower barrier pathways. Finally, we posit that our new framework of locomotion energy landscapes holds promise to better understand and predict multi-modal biological and robotic movement.

Tunable band gaps in bio-inspired periodic composites with nacre-like microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yanyu; Wang, Lifeng

2014-08-01

Periodic composite materials have many promising applications due to their unique ability to control the propagation of waves. Here, we report the existence and frequency tunability of complete elastic wave band gaps in bio-inspired periodic composites with nacre-like, brick-and-mortar microstructure. Numerical results show that complete band gaps in these periodic composites derive from local resonances or Bragg scattering, depending on the lattice angle and the volume fraction of each phase in the composites. The investigation of elastic wave propagation in finite periodic composites validates the simulated complete band gaps and further reveals the mechanisms leading to complete band gaps. Moreover, our results indicate that the topological arrangement of the mineral platelets and changes of material properties can be utilized to tune the evolution of complete band gaps. Our finding provides new opportunities to design mechanically robust periodic composite materials for wave absorption under hostile environments, such as for deep water applications.

Role of cellulose functionality in bio-inspired synthesis of nano bioactive glass.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Nidhi; Santhiya, Deenan

2017-06-01

In search of abundant cheaper natural polymer for bio-inspired bioactive glass nanoparticles synthesis, cellulose and its derivatives have been considered as a template. Different templates explored in the present studies are pure cellulose, methyl cellulose and amine grafted cellulose. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time of the considered templates, pure cellulose and amine grafted cellulose results in in situ nano particulate composite formation while interestingly methyl cellulose proves to be an excellent sacrificial template for the synthesis of uniform bioglass nanoparticles of diameter in the range of 55nm. Further, viscoelastic measurements were carried out using dynamic mechanical analyzer. Herein, an attempt has been made to establish structure-mechanical relationship based on the templates. Moreover, in vitro bioactivity is also observed to be affected by the nature of the template molecule used for the synthesis of bioactive glass. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Morphological self stabilization of locomotion gaits: illustration on a few examples from bio-inspired locomotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Chevallereau, Christine; Boyer, Frédéric; Porez, Mathieu; Mauny, Johan; Aoustin, Yannick

2017-06-20

To a large extent, robotics locomotion can be viewed as cyclic motions, named gaits. Due to the high complexity of the locomotion dynamics, to find the control laws that ensure an expected gait and its stability with respect to external perturbations, is a challenging issue for feedback control. To address this issue, a promising way is to take inspiration from animals that intensively exploit the interactions of the passive degrees of freedom of their body with their physical surroundings, to outsource the high-level exteroceptive feedback control to low-level proprioceptive ones. In this case, passive interactions can ensure most of the expected control goals. In this article, we propose a methodological framework to study the role of morphology in the design of locomotion gaits and their stability. This framework ranges from modelling to control aspects, and is illustrated through three examples from bio-inspired locomotion: a three-dimensional micro air vehicle in hovering flight, a pendular planar climber and a bipedal planar walker. In these three cases, we will see how simple considerations based on the morphology of the body can ensure the existence of passive stable gaits without requiring any high-level control.

Carbon-Nanotube-Supported Bio-Inspired Nickel Catalyst and Its Integration in Hybrid Hydrogen/Air Fuel Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gentil, Solène [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM UMR 5250, 38000 Grenoble France; Laboratoire de Chimie et Biologie des Métaux, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR5249, CEA, 38000 Grenoble France; Lalaoui, Noémie [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM UMR 5250, 38000 Grenoble France; Dutta, Arnab [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99532 USA; Current address: Chemistry Department, IIT Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355 India; Nedellec, Yannig [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM UMR 5250, 38000 Grenoble France; Cosnier, Serge [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM UMR 5250, 38000 Grenoble France; Shaw, Wendy J. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99532 USA; Artero, Vincent [Laboratoire de Chimie et Biologie des Métaux, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR5249, CEA, 38000 Grenoble France; Le Goff, Alan [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM UMR 5250, 38000 Grenoble France

2017-01-12

A biomimetic nickel bis-diphosphine complex incorporating the amino-acid arginine in the outer coordination sphere, was immobilized on modified single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) through electrostatic interactions. The sur-face-confined catalyst is characterized by a reversible 2-electron/2-proton redox process at potentials close to the equibrium potential of the H+/H2 couple. Consequently, the functionalized redox nanomaterial exhibits reversible electrocatalytic activity for the H2/2H+ interconversion over a broad range of pH. This system exhibits catalytic bias, analogous to hydrogenases, resulting in high turnover frequencies at low overpotentials for electrocatalytic H2 oxida-tion between pH 0 and 7. This allowed integrating such bio-inspired nanomaterial together with a multicopper oxi-dase at the cathode side in a hybrid bioinspired/enzymatic hydrogen fuel cell. This device delivers ~2 mW cm–2 with an open-circuit voltage of 1.0 V at room temperature and pH 5, which sets a new efficiency record for a bio-related hydrogen fuel cell with base metal catalysts.

Energy conservation in the built environment. Innovators talking; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving. Innovators aan het woord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Qualitative studies have been conducted of the results of completed projects focused on energy innovation, spread over the seven themes of the top sector Energy: Energy saving in industry, Energy conservation in the built environment, Gas, Bio-energy, Smart grids, Offshore Wind, Solar PV. This provides insight into the follow-up activities and lessons of some EOS (Energy Research Subsidy) completed projects with the aim to inspire, connect and strengthen the TKIs (Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation) and individual companies and researchers working on energy innovation. This report concerns the research on energy conservation in the built environment [Dutch] Er is een kwalitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd naar de resultaten van afgeronde projecten gericht op energie-innovatie, verdeeld over de zeven thema's van de topsector Energie: Energiebesparing in de industrie; Energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving; Gas; Bio-energie; Smart grids; Wind op zee; Zon-pv. Daarmee wordt inzicht gegeven in de vervolgactiviteiten en lessen van een aantal afgesloten EOS-projecten (Energie Onderzoek Subsidie) met het oog op het inspireren, verbinden en versterken van de TKI's (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie) en individuele bedrijven en onderzoekers die werken aan energie-innovatie. Dit rapport betreft het onderzoek naar energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving.

Viscous-Inviscid Methods in Unsteady Aerodynamic Analysis of Bio-Inspired Morphing Wings

Science.gov (United States)

Dhruv, Akash V.

Flight has been one of the greatest realizations of human imagination, revolutionizing communication and transportation over the years. This has greatly influenced the growth of technology itself, enabling researchers to communicate and share their ideas more effectively, extending the human potential to create more sophisticated systems. While the end product of a sophisticated technology makes our lives easier, its development process presents an array of challenges in itself. In last decade, scientists and engineers have turned towards bio-inspiration to design more efficient and robust aerodynamic systems to enhance the ability of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to be operated in cluttered environments, where tight maneuverability and controllability are necessary. Effective use of UAVs in domestic airspace will mark the beginning of a new age in communication and transportation. The design of such complex systems necessitates the need for faster and more effective tools to perform preliminary investigations in design, thereby streamlining the design process. This thesis explores the implementation of numerical panel methods for aerodynamic analysis of bio-inspired morphing wings. Numerical panel methods have been one of the earliest forms of computational methods for aerodynamic analysis to be developed. Although the early editions of this method performed only inviscid analysis, the algorithm has matured over the years as a result of contributions made by prominent aerodynamicists. The method discussed in this thesis is influenced by recent advancements in panel methods and incorporates both viscous and inviscid analysis of multi-flap wings. The surface calculation of aerodynamic coefficients makes this method less computationally expensive than traditional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solvers available, and thus is effective when both speed and accuracy are desired. The morphing wing design, which consists of sequential feather-like flaps installed

Constrained VPH+: a local path planning algorithm for a bio-inspired crawling robot with customized ultrasonic scanning sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Akshay; Elara, Mohan Rajesh; Elangovan, Karthikeyan

This paper aims to develop a local path planning algorithm for a bio-inspired, reconfigurable crawling robot. A detailed description of the robotic platform is first provided, and the suitability for deployment of each of the current state-of-the-art local path planners is analyzed after an extensive literature review. The Enhanced Vector Polar Histogram algorithm is described and reformulated to better fit the requirements of the platform. The algorithm is deployed on the robotic platform in crawling configuration and favorably compared with other state-of-the-art local path planning algorithms.

Bio-inspired online variable recruitment control of fluidic artificial muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Tyler E.; Chapman, Edward M.; Bryant, Matthew

2016-12-01

This paper details the creation of a hybrid variable recruitment control scheme for fluidic artificial muscle (FAM) actuators with an emphasis on maximizing system efficiency and switching control performance. Variable recruitment is the process of altering a system’s active number of actuators, allowing operation in distinct force regimes. Previously, FAM variable recruitment was only quantified with offline, manual valve switching; this study addresses the creation and characterization of novel, on-line FAM switching control algorithms. The bio-inspired algorithms are implemented in conjunction with a PID and model-based controller, and applied to a simulated plant model. Variable recruitment transition effects and chatter rejection are explored via a sensitivity analysis, allowing a system designer to weigh tradeoffs in actuator modeling, algorithm choice, and necessary hardware. Variable recruitment is further developed through simulation of a robotic arm tracking a variety of spline position inputs, requiring several levels of actuator recruitment. Switching controller performance is quantified and compared with baseline systems lacking variable recruitment. The work extends current variable recruitment knowledge by creating novel online variable recruitment control schemes, and exploring how online actuator recruitment affects system efficiency and control performance. Key topics associated with implementing a variable recruitment scheme, including the effects of modeling inaccuracies, hardware considerations, and switching transition concerns are also addressed.

A Compact VLSI System for Bio-Inspired Visual Motion Estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Cong; Luo, Gang

2018-04-01

This paper proposes a bio-inspired visual motion estimation algorithm based on motion energy, along with its compact very-large-scale integration (VLSI) architecture using low-cost embedded systems. The algorithm mimics motion perception functions of retina, V1, and MT neurons in a primate visual system. It involves operations of ternary edge extraction, spatiotemporal filtering, motion energy extraction, and velocity integration. Moreover, we propose the concept of confidence map to indicate the reliability of estimation results on each probing location. Our algorithm involves only additions and multiplications during runtime, which is suitable for low-cost hardware implementation. The proposed VLSI architecture employs multiple (frame, pixel, and operation) levels of pipeline and massively parallel processing arrays to boost the system performance. The array unit circuits are optimized to minimize hardware resource consumption. We have prototyped the proposed architecture on a low-cost field-programmable gate array platform (Zynq 7020) running at 53-MHz clock frequency. It achieved 30-frame/s real-time performance for velocity estimation on 160 × 120 probing locations. A comprehensive evaluation experiment showed that the estimated velocity by our prototype has relatively small errors (average endpoint error < 0.5 pixel and angular error < 10°) for most motion cases.

Bio-inspired device: a novel smart MR spring featuring tendril structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaluvan, Suresh; Park, Chun-Yong; Choi, Seung-Bok

2016-01-01

Smart materials such as piezoelectric patches, shape memory alloy, electro and magneto rheological fluid, magnetostrictive materials, etc are involved by far to design intelligent and high performance smart devices like injectors, dental braces, dampers, actuators and sensors. In this paper, an interesting smart device is proposed by inspiring on the structure of the bio climber plant. The key enabling concept of this proposed work is to design the smart spring damper as a helical shaped tendril structure using magneto-rheological (MR) fluid. The proposed smart spring consists of a hollow helical structure filled with MR fluid. The viscosity of the MR fluid decides the damping force of helical shaped smart spring, while the fluid intensity in the vine decides the strength of the tendril in the climber plant. Thus, the proposed smart spring can provide a new concept design of the damper which can be applicable to various damping system industries with tuneable damping force. The proposed smart spring damper has several advantageous such as cost effective, easy implementation compared with the conventional damper. In addition, the proposed spring damper can be easily designed to adapt different damping force levels without any alteration. (letter)

Bio-inspired device: a novel smart MR spring featuring tendril structure

Science.gov (United States)

Kaluvan, Suresh; Park, Chun-Yong; Choi, Seung-Bok

2016-01-01

Smart materials such as piezoelectric patches, shape memory alloy, electro and magneto rheological fluid, magnetostrictive materials, etc are involved by far to design intelligent and high performance smart devices like injectors, dental braces, dampers, actuators and sensors. In this paper, an interesting smart device is proposed by inspiring on the structure of the bio climber plant. The key enabling concept of this proposed work is to design the smart spring damper as a helical shaped tendril structure using magneto-rheological (MR) fluid. The proposed smart spring consists of a hollow helical structure filled with MR fluid. The viscosity of the MR fluid decides the damping force of helical shaped smart spring, while the fluid intensity in the vine decides the strength of the tendril in the climber plant. Thus, the proposed smart spring can provide a new concept design of the damper which can be applicable to various damping system industries with tuneable damping force. The proposed smart spring damper has several advantageous such as cost effective, easy implementation compared with the conventional damper. In addition, the proposed spring damper can be easily designed to adapt different damping force levels without any alteration.

Bio-inspired aquatic robotics by untethered piezohydroelastic actuation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cen, L; Erturk, A

2013-01-01

This paper investigates fish-like aquatic robotics using flexible bimorphs made of macro-fiber composite (MFC) piezoelectric laminates for carangiform locomotion. In addition to noiseless and efficient actuation over a range of frequencies, geometric scalability, and simple design, bimorph propulsors made of MFCs offer a balance between the actuation force and velocity response for performance enhancement in bio-inspired swimming. The experimental component of the presented work focuses on the characterization of an elastically constrained MFC bimorph propulsor for thrust generation in quiescent water as well as the development of a robotic fish prototype combining a microcontroller and a printed-circuit-board amplifier to generate high actuation voltage for untethered locomotion. From the theoretical standpoint, a distributed-parameter electroelastic model including the hydrodynamic effects and actuator dynamics is coupled with the elongated-body theory for predicting the mean thrust in quiescent water. In-air and underwater experiments are performed to verify the incorporation of hydrodynamic effects in the linear actuation regime. For electroelastically nonlinear actuation levels, experimentally obtained underwater vibration response is coupled with the elongated-body theory to predict the thrust output. The measured mean thrust levels in quiescent water (on the order of ∼10 mN) compare favorably with thrust levels of biological fish. An untethered robotic fish prototype that employs a single bimorph fin (caudal fin) for straight swimming and turning motions is developed and tested in free locomotion. A swimming speed of 0.3 body-length/second (7.5 cm s −1 swimming speed for 24.3 cm body length) is achieved at 5 Hz for a non-optimized main body-propulsor bimorph combination under a moderate actuation voltage level. (paper)

Guard Cell and Tropomyosin Inspired Chemical Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacquelyn K.S. Nagel

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Sensors are an integral part of many engineered products and systems. Biological inspiration has the potential to improve current sensor designs as well as inspire innovative ones. This paper presents the design of an innovative, biologically-inspired chemical sensor that performs “up-front” processing through mechanical means. Inspiration from the physiology (function of the guard cell coupled with the morphology (form and physiology of tropomyosin resulted in two concept variants for the chemical sensor. Applications of the sensor design include environmental monitoring of harmful gases, and a non-invasive approach to detect illnesses including diabetes, liver disease, and cancer on the breath.

Paradigms for biologically inspired design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenau, T. A.; Metzea, A.-L.; Hesselberg, T.

2018-01-01

engineering, medical engineering, nanotechnology, photonics,environmental protection and agriculture. However, a major obstacle for the wider use of biologically inspired design isthe knowledge barrier that exist between the application engineers that have insight into how to design suitable productsand......Biologically inspired design is attracting increasing interest since it offers access to a huge biological repository of wellproven design principles that can be used for developing new and innovative products. Biological phenomena can inspireproduct innovation in as diverse areas as mechanical...... the biologists with detailed knowledge and experience in understanding how biological organisms function in theirenvironment. The biologically inspired design process can therefore be approached using different design paradigmsdepending on the dominant opportunities, challenges and knowledge characteristics...

Complex biological and bio-inspired systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ecke, Robert E [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2009-01-01

The understanding and characterization ofthe fundamental processes of the function of biological systems underpins many of the important challenges facing American society, from the pathology of infectious disease and the efficacy ofvaccines, to the development of materials that mimic biological functionality and deliver exceptional and novel structural and dynamic properties. These problems are fundamentally complex, involving many interacting components and poorly understood bio-chemical kinetics. We use the basic science of statistical physics, kinetic theory, cellular bio-chemistry, soft-matter physics, and information science to develop cell level models and explore the use ofbiomimetic materials. This project seeks to determine how cell level processes, such as response to mechanical stresses, chemical constituents and related gradients, and other cell signaling mechanisms, integrate and combine to create a functioning organism. The research focuses on the basic physical processes that take place at different levels ofthe biological organism: the basic role of molecular and chemical interactions are investigated, the dynamics of the DNA-molecule and its phylogenetic role are examined and the regulatory networks of complex biochemical processes are modeled. These efforts may lead to early warning algorithms ofpathogen outbreaks, new bio-sensors to detect hazards from pathomic viruses to chemical contaminants. Other potential applications include the development of efficient bio-fuel alternative-energy processes and the exploration ofnovel materials for energy usages. Finally, we use the notion of 'coarse-graining,' which is a method for averaging over less important degrees of freedom to develop computational models to predict cell function and systems-level response to disease, chemical stress, or biological pathomic agents. This project supports Energy Security, Threat Reduction, and the missions of the DOE Office of Science through its efforts to

Bio-inspired micro-nano structured surface with structural color and anisotropic wettability on Cu substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yan; Li, Shuyi; Niu, Shichao; Cao, Xiaowen; Han, Zhiwu; Ren, Luquan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We have prepared a biomimetic hydrophobic surface on copper substrate by one-step femtosecond laser technique. • The hydrophobicity mechanism relies on morphology and chemical component on surface. • The hydrophobic surfaces exhibit different structural colors and a anisotropic wettability. - Abstract: Inspired by the unique creatures in the nature, the femtosecond laser technology has been usually used to fabricate the periodic microstructures due to its advantages of rapidness, simplicity, ease of large-area fabrication, and simultaneously offering dual micro/nano-scale structures simply via one-step process for a wide variety of materials. By changing the experimental conditions, multi-functional surfaces which possess superhydrophobicity and structural colors could be achieved on copper substrate. In addition, the apparent contact angle can reach 144.3° without any further modification, which also exhibits the anisotropic wettability. Moreover, it can be inferred that higher laser fluence can lead to a larger CA within a certain range. At the same time, due to the change of laser processing parameters, the obtained surfaces present different structural colors. This study may expand the applications of bio-inspired functional materials because multiple colors and hydrophobicity are both important features in the real life and industrial applications, such as display, decoration, and anti-counterfeiting technology etc.

Bio-inspired micro-nano structured surface with structural color and anisotropic wettability on Cu substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Yan [Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education), Jilin University, Changchun 130022 (China); State Key Laboratory of Automotive Simulation and Control, Jilin University, Changchun 130022 (China); Li, Shuyi; Niu, Shichao [Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education), Jilin University, Changchun 130022 (China); Cao, Xiaowen [Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Han, Zhiwu, E-mail: zwhan@jlu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education), Jilin University, Changchun 130022 (China); Ren, Luquan [Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education), Jilin University, Changchun 130022 (China)

2016-08-30

Highlights: • We have prepared a biomimetic hydrophobic surface on copper substrate by one-step femtosecond laser technique. • The hydrophobicity mechanism relies on morphology and chemical component on surface. • The hydrophobic surfaces exhibit different structural colors and a anisotropic wettability. - Abstract: Inspired by the unique creatures in the nature, the femtosecond laser technology has been usually used to fabricate the periodic microstructures due to its advantages of rapidness, simplicity, ease of large-area fabrication, and simultaneously offering dual micro/nano-scale structures simply via one-step process for a wide variety of materials. By changing the experimental conditions, multi-functional surfaces which possess superhydrophobicity and structural colors could be achieved on copper substrate. In addition, the apparent contact angle can reach 144.3° without any further modification, which also exhibits the anisotropic wettability. Moreover, it can be inferred that higher laser fluence can lead to a larger CA within a certain range. At the same time, due to the change of laser processing parameters, the obtained surfaces present different structural colors. This study may expand the applications of bio-inspired functional materials because multiple colors and hydrophobicity are both important features in the real life and industrial applications, such as display, decoration, and anti-counterfeiting technology etc.

Hydrogels from Amorphous Calcium Carbonate and Polyacrylic Acid: Bio-Inspired Materials for "Mineral Plastics".

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Shengtong; Mao, Li-Bo; Lei, Zhouyue; Yu, Shu-Hong; Cölfen, Helmut

2016-09-19

Given increasing environmental issues due to the large usage of non-biodegradable plastics based on petroleum, new plastic materials, which are economic, environmentally friendly, and recyclable are in high demand. One feasible strategy is the bio-inspired synthesis of mineral-based hybrid materials. Herein we report a facile route for an amorphous CaCO3 (ACC)-based hydrogel consisting of very small ACC nanoparticles physically cross-linked by poly(acrylic acid). The hydrogel is shapeable, stretchable, and self-healable. Upon drying, the hydrogel forms free-standing, rigid, and transparent objects with remarkable mechanical performance. By swelling in water, the material can completely recover the initial hydrogel state. As a matrix, thermochromism can also be easily introduced. The present hybrid hydrogel may represent a new class of plastic materials, the "mineral plastics". © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Post-capture vibration suppression of spacecraft via a bio-inspired isolation system

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Honghua; Jing, Xingjian; Wang, Yu; Yue, Xiaokui; Yuan, Jianping

2018-05-01

Inspired by the smooth motions of a running kangaroo, a bio-inspired quadrilateral shape (BIQS) structure is proposed to suppress the vibrations of a free-floating spacecraft subject to periodic or impulsive forces, which may be encountered during on-orbit servicing missions. In particular, the BIQS structure is installed between the satellite platform and the capture mechanism. The dynamical model of the BIQS isolation system, i.e. a BIQS structure connecting the platform and the capture mechanism at each side, is established by Lagrange's equations to simulate the post-capture dynamical responses. The BIQS system suffering an impulsive force is dealt with by means of a modified version of Lagrange's equations. Furthermore, the classical harmonic balance method is used to solve the nonlinear dynamical system subject to periodic forces, while for the case under impulsive forces the numerical integration method is adopted. Due to the weightless environment in space, the present BIQS system is essentially an under-constrained dynamical system with one of its natural frequencies being identical to zero. The effects of system parameters, such as the number of layers in BIQS, stiffness, assembly angle, rod length, damping coefficient, masses of satellite platform and capture mechanism, on the isolation performance of the present system are thoroughly investigated. In addition, comparisons between the isolation performances of the presently proposed BIQS isolator and the conventional spring-mass-damper (SMD) isolator are conducted to demonstrate the advantages of the present isolator. Numerical simulations show that the BIQS system has a much better performance than the SMD system under either periodic or impulsive forces. Overall, the present BIQS isolator offers a highly efficient passive way for vibration suppressions of free-floating spacecraft.

Artificial Roughness Encoding with a Bio-inspired MEMS-based Tactile Sensor Array

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Calogero Maria Oddo

2009-04-01

Full Text Available A compliant 2x2 tactile sensor array was developed and investigated for roughness encoding. State of the art cross shape 3D MEMS sensors were integrated with polymeric packaging providing in total 16 sensitive elements to external mechanical stimuli in an area of about 20 mm2, similarly to the SA1 innervation density in humans. Experimental analysis of the bio-inspired tactile sensor array was performed by using ridged surfaces, with spatial periods from 2.6 mm to 4.1 mm, which were indented with regulated 1N normal force and stroked at constant sliding velocity from 15 mm/s to 48 mm/s. A repeatable and expected frequency shift of the sensor outputs depending on the applied stimulus and on its scanning velocity was observed between 3.66 Hz and 18.46 Hz with an overall maximum error of 1.7%. The tactile sensor could also perform contact imaging during static stimulus indentation. The experiments demonstrated the suitability of this approach for the design of a roughness encoding tactile sensor for an artificial fingerpad.

INVESTIGATING PECTORAL SHAPES AND LOCOMOTIVE STRATEGIES FOR CONCEPTUAL DESIGNING BIO-INSPIRED ROBOTIC FISH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. I. MAINONG

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the performance analysis of a conceptual bio-inspired robotic fish design, which is based on the morphology similar to the boxfish (Ostracion melagris. The robotic fish prototype is driven by three micro servos; two on the pectoral fins, and one on the caudal fin. Two electronic rapid prototyping boards were employed; one for the movement of robotic fish, and one for the force sensors measurements. The robotic fish were built using fused deposition modeling (FDM, more popularly known as the 3D printing method. Several designs of pectoral fins (rectangular, triangular and quarter-ellipse with unchanging the value of aspect ratio (AR employed to measure the performance of the prototype robotic fish in terms of hydrodynamics, thrust and maneuvering characteristics. The analysis of the unmanned robotic system performance is made experimentally and the results show that the proposed bioinspired robotic prototype opens up the possibility of design optimization research for future work.

A Bio-inspired Approach for Power and Performance Aware Resource Allocation in Clouds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumar Rajesh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order to cope with increasing demand, cloud market players such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Gogrid, Flexiant, etc. have set up large sized data centers. Due to monotonically increasing size of data centers and heterogeneity of resources have made resource allocation a challenging task. A large percentage of total energy consumption of the data centers gets wasted because of under-utilization of resources. Thus, there is a need of resource allocation technique that improves the utilization of resources with effecting performance of services being delivered to end users. In this work, a bio-inspired resource allocation approach is proposed with the aim to improve utilization and hence the energy efficiency of the cloud infrastructure. The proposed approach makes use of Cuckoo search for power and performance aware allocation of resources to the services hired by the end users. The proposed approach is implemented in CloudSim. The simulation results have shown approximately 12% saving in energy consumption.

Mobile robots for localizing gas emission sources on landfill sites: is bio-inspiration the way to go?

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez Bennetts, Victor; Lilienthal, Achim J; Neumann, Patrick P; Trincavelli, Marco

2011-01-01

Roboticists often take inspiration from animals for designing sensors, actuators, or algorithms that control the behavior of robots. Bio-inspiration is motivated with the uncanny ability of animals to solve complex tasks like recognizing and manipulating objects, walking on uneven terrains, or navigating to the source of an odor plume. In particular the task of tracking an odor plume up to its source has nearly exclusively been addressed using biologically inspired algorithms and robots have been developed, for example, to mimic the behavior of moths, dung beetles, or lobsters. In this paper we argue that biomimetic approaches to gas source localization are of limited use, primarily because animals differ fundamentally in their sensing and actuation capabilities from state-of-the-art gas-sensitive mobile robots. To support our claim, we compare actuation and chemical sensing available to mobile robots to the corresponding capabilities of moths. We further characterize airflow and chemosensor measurements obtained with three different robot platforms (two wheeled robots and one flying micro-drone) in four prototypical environments and show that the assumption of a constant and unidirectional airflow, which is the basis of many gas source localization approaches, is usually far from being valid. This analysis should help to identify how underlying principles, which govern the gas source tracking behavior of animals, can be usefully "translated" into gas source localization approaches that fully take into account the capabilities of mobile robots. We also describe the requirements for a reference application, monitoring of gas emissions at landfill sites with mobile robots, and discuss an engineered gas source localization approach based on statistics as an alternative to biologically inspired algorithms.

Mobile Robots for Localizing Gas Emission Sources on Landfill Sites: Is Bio-Inspiration the Way to Go?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor eHernandez Bennetts

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Roboticists often take inspiration from animals for designing sensors, actuators or algorithms that control the behaviour of robots. Bio-inspiration is motivated with the uncanny ability of animals to solve complex tasks like recognizing and manipulating objects, walking on uneven terrains, or navigating to the source of an odour plume. In particular the task of tracking an odour plume up to its source has nearly exclusively been addressed using biologically inspired algorithms and robots have been developed, for example, to mimic the behaviour of moths, dungbeetles, or lobsters. In this paper we argue that biomimetic approaches to gas source localization are of limited use, primarily because animals differ fundamentally in their sensing and actuation capabilities from state-of-the-art gas-sensitive mobile robots. To support our claim, we compare actuation and chemical sensing available to mobile robots to the corresponding capabilities of moths. We further characterize airflow and chemosensor measurements obtained with three different robot platforms (two wheeled robots and one flying micro drone in four prototypical environments and show that the assumption of a constant and unidirectional airflow, which is at the basis of many gas source localization approaches, is usually far from being valid. This analysis should help to identify how underlying principles, which govern the gas source tracking behaviour of animals, can be usefully translated into gas source localization approaches that fully take into account the capabilities of mobile robots. We also describe the requirements for a reference application, monitoring of gas emissions at landfill sites with mobile robots, and discuss an engineered gas source localization approach based on statistics as an alternative to biologically-inspired algorithms.

Towards Bio-Inspired Chromatic Behaviours in Surveillance Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sampath Kumar Karutaa Gnaniar

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The field of Robotics is ever growing at the same time as posing enormous challenges. Numerous works has been done in biologically inspired robotics emulating models, systems and elements of nature for the purpose of solving traditional robotics problems. Chromatic behaviours are abundant in nature across a variety of living species to achieve camouflage, signaling, and temperature regulation. The ability of these creatures to successfully blend in with their environment and communicate by changing their colour is the fundamental inspiration for our research work. In this paper, we present dwarf chameleon inspired chromatic behaviour in the context of an autonomous surveillance robot, “PACHONDHI”. In our experiments, we successfully validated the ability of the robot to autonomously change its colour in relation to the terrain that it is traversing for maximizing detectability to friendly security agents and minimizing exposure to hostile agents, as well as to communicate with fellow cooperating robots.

Fabrication of bio-inspired nitinol alloy surface with tunable anisotropic wetting and high adhesive ability.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yan L; Zhao, Yue C; Yang, Cheng J; Wang, Fu J; Liu, Xian P; Jing, Xiu B

2018-10-01

In this paper, micro/nano-scale structures were fabricated on nitinol alloy (NiTi) to realize tunable anisotropic wetting and high adhesive capability. Laser texturing and silanization process are utilized to change the morphological and chemical properties of substrates. It is noted that these treated substrates exhibit the joint characteristics of anisotropic wetting and high adhesive capability. In order to investigate the influences of laser-texturing and silanization processes on NiTi, these surfaces were evaluated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), a white light confocal microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and goniometer. The relationship between water volume and anisotropic wetting was also established. From the experimental testing, we can obtain the following conclusions: (1) the anisotropic wetting characterized by the difference between the water contact angles (WCAs) in the vertical and parallel directions ranges from 0° to 20.3°, which is far more than the value of natural rice leaves. (2) the water sliding angles (WSAs) kept stable at 180°, successfully mimicking the adhesive ability of rose petals. (3) the silanization process could strengthen the hydrophobicity but weaken anisotropic wetting. These bio-inspired NiTi surfaces have a tremendous potential applications such as microfluidic devices, bio-mimetic materials fabrication and lab on chip. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A compact bio-inspired visible/NIR imager for image-guided surgery (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Shengkui; Garcia, Missael; Edmiston, Chris; York, Timothy; Marinov, Radoslav; Mondal, Suman B.; Zhu, Nan; Sudlow, Gail P.; Akers, Walter J.; Margenthaler, Julie A.; Liang, Rongguang; Pepino, Marta; Achilefu, Samuel; Gruev, Viktor

2016-03-01

Inspired by the visual system of the morpho butterfly, we have designed, fabricated, tested and clinically translated an ultra-sensitive, light weight and compact imaging sensor capable of simultaneously capturing near infrared (NIR) and visible spectrum information. The visual system of the morpho butterfly combines photosensitive cells with spectral filters at the receptor level. The spectral filters are realized by alternating layers of high and low dielectric constant, such as air and cytoplasm. We have successfully mimicked this concept by integrating pixelated spectral filters, realized by alternating silicon dioxide and silicon nitrate layers, with an array of CCD detectors. There are four different types of pixelated spectral filters in the imaging plane: red, green, blue and NIR. The high optical density (OD) of all spectral filters (OD>4) allow for efficient rejections of photons from unwanted bands. The single imaging chip weighs 20 grams with form factor of 5mm by 5mm. The imaging camera is integrated with a goggle display system. A tumor targeted agent, LS301, is used to identify all spontaneous tumors in a transgenic PyMT murine model of breast cancer. The imaging system achieved sensitivity of 98% and selectivity of 95%. We also used our imaging sensor to locate sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in patients with breast cancer using indocyanine green tracer. The surgeon was able to identify 100% of SLNs when using our bio-inspired imaging system, compared to 93% when using information from the lymphotropic dye and 96% when using information from the radioactive tracer.

Working principle of bio-inspired shape memory alloy composite actuators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Colin; Villanueva, Alex; Joshi, Keyur; Tadesse, Yonas; Priya, Shashank

2011-01-01

Recently, bio-inspired shape memory alloy composite (BISMAC) actuators have been shown to mimic the deformation characteristics of natural jellyfish medusa. In this study, a constant cross-section BISMAC actuator was characterized in terms of bending deflection and force in conjunction with microscopy to understand its deformation mechanism. The actuator showed bending deflection of 111% with respect to the active length along with a blocking force of 0.061 N. The resulting energy density of the composite actuator was 4929 J m −3 at an input voltage and current level of 12 V and 0.7 A, respectively. For a dry-state actuator, this performance is extremely high and represents an optimum combination of force and deflection. Experiments reveal that BISMAC's performance is related to the moment induced from tip attachment of the shape memory alloy (SMA) rather than to friction within the composite structure. A physics-based model of BISMAC structure is presented which shows that the actuator is highly sensitive to the distance between the SMA wire and the incompressible component. While SMA has both stress and strain limitations, the limiting factor in BISMAC actuators is dependent on separation distance. The limiting factor in BISMAC's suitability for mimicking the performance of medusa was experimentally found to be related to the maximum 4% strain of the SMA and not its force generation. (fast track communication)

Drawing inspiration from biological optical systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wolpert, H. D.

2009-08-01

Bio-Mimicking/Bio-Inspiration: How can we not be inspired by Nature? Life has evolved on earth over the last 3.5 to 4 billion years. Materials formed during this time were not toxic; they were created at low temperatures and low pressures unlike many of the materials developed today. The natural materials formed are self-assembled, multifunctional, nonlinear, complex, adaptive, self-repairing and biodegradable. The designs that failed are fossils. Those that survived are the success stories. Natural materials are mostly formed from organics, inorganic crystals and amorphous phases. The materials make economic sense by optimizing the design of the structures or systems to meet multiple needs. We constantly "see" many similar strategies in approaches, between man and nature, but we seldom look at the details of natures approaches. The power of image processing, in many of natures creatures, is a detail that is often overlooked. Seldon does the engineer interact with the biologist and learn what nature has to teach us. The variety and complexity of biological materials and the optical systems formed should inspire us.

Bio-Inspired Innovation and National Security

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Doppler shift resulting from their own flight.35 They can also determine azimuth and elevation using binaural processing. Detection of wires is a...responses. The problem is that trained intelligence or military persons, psychopathic or antisocial subjects, and others can effectively beat the polygraph

The Difference Se Makes: A Bio-Inspired Dppf-Supported Nickel Selenolate Complex Boosts Dihydrogen Evolution with High Oxygen Tolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Zhong-Hua; Tao, Yun-Wen; He, Quan-Feng; Wu, Qiao-Yu; Cheng, Li-Ping; Wei, Zhan-Hua; Wu, Ji-Huai; Lin, Jin-Qing; Sun, Di; Zhang, Qi-Chun; Tian, Dan; Luo, Geng-Geng

2018-06-12

Inspired by the metal active sites of [NiFeSe]-hydrogenases, a dppf-supported nickel(II) selenolate complex (dppf=1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene) shows high catalytic activity for electrochemical proton reduction with a remarkable enzyme-like H 2 evolution turnover frequency (TOF) of 7838 s -1 under an Ar atmosphere, which markedly surpasses the activity of a dppf-supported nickel(II) thiolate analogue with a low TOF of 600 s -1 . A combined study of electrochemical experiments and DFT calculations shed light on the catalytic process, suggesting that selenium atom as a bio-inspired proton relay plays a key role in proton exchange and enhancing catalytic activity of H 2 production. For the first time, this type of Ni selenolate-containing electrocatalyst displays a high degree of O 2 and H 2 tolerance. Our results should encourage the development of the design of highly efficient oxygen-tolerant Ni selenolate molecular catalysts. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Distributed Synchronization Technique for OFDMA-Based Wireless Mesh Networks Using a Bio-Inspired Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mi Jeong Kim

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a distributed synchronization technique based on a bio-inspired algorithm is proposed for an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA-based wireless mesh network (WMN with a time difference of arrival. The proposed time- and frequency-synchronization technique uses only the signals received from the neighbor nodes, by considering the effect of the propagation delay between the nodes. It achieves a fast synchronization with a relatively low computational complexity because it is operated in a distributed manner, not requiring any feedback channel for the compensation of the propagation delays. In addition, a self-organization scheme that can be effectively used to construct 1-hop neighbor nodes is proposed for an OFDMA-based WMN with a large number of nodes. The performance of the proposed technique is evaluated with regard to the convergence property and synchronization success probability using a computer simulation.

Distributed Synchronization Technique for OFDMA-Based Wireless Mesh Networks Using a Bio-Inspired Algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Mi Jeong; Maeng, Sung Joon; Cho, Yong Soo

2015-07-28

In this paper, a distributed synchronization technique based on a bio-inspired algorithm is proposed for an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based wireless mesh network (WMN) with a time difference of arrival. The proposed time- and frequency-synchronization technique uses only the signals received from the neighbor nodes, by considering the effect of the propagation delay between the nodes. It achieves a fast synchronization with a relatively low computational complexity because it is operated in a distributed manner, not requiring any feedback channel for the compensation of the propagation delays. In addition, a self-organization scheme that can be effectively used to construct 1-hop neighbor nodes is proposed for an OFDMA-based WMN with a large number of nodes. The performance of the proposed technique is evaluated with regard to the convergence property and synchronization success probability using a computer simulation.

Bio-inspired grasp control in a robotic hand with massive sensorial input.

Science.gov (United States)

Ascari, Luca; Bertocchi, Ulisse; Corradi, Paolo; Laschi, Cecilia; Dario, Paolo

2009-02-01

The capability of grasping and lifting an object in a suitable, stable and controlled way is an outstanding feature for a robot, and thus far, one of the major problems to be solved in robotics. No robotic tools able to perform an advanced control of the grasp as, for instance, the human hand does, have been demonstrated to date. Due to its capital importance in science and in many applications, namely from biomedics to manufacturing, the issue has been matter of deep scientific investigations in both the field of neurophysiology and robotics. While the former is contributing with a profound understanding of the dynamics of real-time control of the slippage and grasp force in the human hand, the latter tries more and more to reproduce, or take inspiration by, the nature's approach, by means of hardware and software technology. On this regard, one of the major constraints robotics has to overcome is the real-time processing of a large amounts of data generated by the tactile sensors while grasping, which poses serious problems to the available computational power. In this paper a bio-inspired approach to tactile data processing has been followed in order to design and test a hardware-software robotic architecture that works on the parallel processing of a large amount of tactile sensing signals. The working principle of the architecture bases on the cellular nonlinear/neural network (CNN) paradigm, while using both hand shape and spatial-temporal features obtained from an array of microfabricated force sensors, in order to control the sensory-motor coordination of the robotic system. Prototypical grasping tasks were selected to measure the system performances applied to a computer-interfaced robotic hand. Successful grasps of several objects, completely unknown to the robot, e.g. soft and deformable objects like plastic bottles, soft balls, and Japanese tofu, have been demonstrated.

Dynamic reciprocity in bio-inspired supramolecular materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bastings, M.M.C.

2012-01-01

Dynamic reciprocity, the spatio-temporal bidirectional process between evolving partners in a functional system is not only found in nature, but also applies to supramolecularly assembling architectures. In this thesis, the focus was on the understanding of nature-inspired supramolecular

Stimulation de la bio-innovation en vue d'atténuer la pauvreté en Asie

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Outputs. Briefs. Improving the small-scale aquaculture to enhance the livelihood of rural farmers. Download PDF. Studies. Lazy gardens : a sustainability experiment in the uplands of Northern Thailand. 49210. Studies. Enhancing sustained adoption of innovations : the case of bio-fertilizers, Philippines. 49207. Papers.

A bio-inspired hair- based acceleration sensor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Droogendijk, H.

Crickets use so-called clavate hairs to sense (gravitational) acceleration to obtain information on their orientation. Inspired by this clavate hair system, a one-axis biomimetic accelerometer has been developed and fabricated using surface micromachining and SU- 8 lithography. Measu- rements show

Fusion of nacre, mussel, and lotus leaf: bio-inspired graphene composite paper with multifunctional integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Da; Yang, Qinglin; Guo, Lin; Dou, Shixue; Liu, Kesong; Jiang, Lei

2013-07-07

Multifunctional integration is an inherent characteristic for biological materials with multiscale structures. Learning from nature is an effective approach for scientists and engineers to construct multifunctional materials. In nature, mollusks (abalone), mussels, and the lotus have evolved different and optimized solutions to survive. Here, bio-inspired multifunctional graphene composite paper was fabricated in situ through the fusion of the different biological solutions from nacre (brick-and-mortar structure), mussel adhesive protein (adhesive property and reducing character), and the lotus leaf (self-cleaning effect). Owing to the special properties (self-polymerization, reduction, and adhesion), dopamine could be simultaneously used as a reducing agent for graphene oxide and as an adhesive, similar to the mortar in nacre, to crosslink the adjacent graphene. The resultant nacre-like graphene paper exhibited stable superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and remarkable mechanical properties underwater.

Extensive Investigations on Bio-Inspired Trust and Reputation Model over Hops Coefficient Factor in Distributed Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinod Kumar Verma

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Resource utilization requires a substantial consideration for a trust and reputation model to be deployed within a wireless sensor network (WSN. In the evaluation, our attention is focused on the effect of hops coefficient factor estimation on WSN with bio-inspired trust and reputation model (BTRM. We present the state-of-the-art system level evaluation of accuracy and path length of sensor node operations for their current and average scenarios. Additionally, we emphasized over the energy consumption evaluation for static, dynamic and oscillatory modes of BTRM-WSN model. The performance of the hops coefficient factor for our proposed framework is evaluated via analytic bounds and numerical simulations.

Bio-inspired algorithms applied to molecular docking simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Heberlé, G; de Azevedo, W F

2011-01-01

Nature as a source of inspiration has been shown to have a great beneficial impact on the development of new computational methodologies. In this scenario, analyses of the interactions between a protein target and a ligand can be simulated by biologically inspired algorithms (BIAs). These algorithms mimic biological systems to create new paradigms for computation, such as neural networks, evolutionary computing, and swarm intelligence. This review provides a description of the main concepts behind BIAs applied to molecular docking simulations. Special attention is devoted to evolutionary algorithms, guided-directed evolutionary algorithms, and Lamarckian genetic algorithms. Recent applications of these methodologies to protein targets identified in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome are described.

Semiconductor Devices Inspired By and Integrated With Biology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogers, John [University of Illinois

2012-04-25

Biology is curved, soft and elastic; silicon wafers are not. Semiconductor technologies that can bridge this gap in form and mechanics will create new opportunities in devices that adopt biologically inspired designs or require intimate integration with the human body. This talk describes the development of ideas for electronics that offer the performance of state-of-the-art, wafer- based systems but with the mechanical properties of a rubber band. We explain the underlying materials science and mechanics of these approaches, and illustrate their use in (1) bio- integrated, ‘tissue-like’ electronics with unique capabilities for mapping cardiac and neural electrophysiology, and (2) bio-inspired, ‘eyeball’ cameras with exceptional imaging properties enabled by curvilinear, Petzval designs.

Research on one Bio-inspired Jumping Locomotion Robot for Search and Rescue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dunwen Wei

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Jumping locomotion is much more effective than other locomotion means in order to tackle the unstructured and complex environment in research and rescue. Here, a bio-inspired jumping robot with a closed-chain mechanism is proposed to achieve the power amplification during taking-off. Through actuating one variable transmission mechanism to change the transmission ratio, the jumping robot reveals biological characteristics in the phase of posture adjustment when adjusting the height and distance of one jump. The kinematics and dynamics of the simplified jumping mechanism model in one jumping cycle sequence are analysed. A compliant contact model considering nonlinear damping is investigated for jumping performance under different terrain characteristics. The numerical simulation algorithm with regard to solving the dynamical equation is described and simulation results are discussed. Finally, one primary prototype and experiment are described. The experimental results show the distance of jumping in the horizontal direction increases with the increasing gear ratio, while the height of jumping decreases in reverse. The jumping robot can enhance the capability to adapt to unknown cluttered environments, such as those encountered in research and rescue, using this strategy.

From marine bio-corrosion to new bio-processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergel, A.; Dasilva, S.; Basseguy, R.; Feron, D.; Mollica, A.

2004-01-01

Full text of publication follows: From the middle of the last century it has been observed that the development of marine bio-films on the surface of stainless steels and different metallic materials induces the ennoblement of their free corrosion potential. A main step in deciphering the mechanisms of aerobic marine bio-corrosion has been achieved around 1976 with the demonstration that the potential ennoblement was due to the modification of the cathodic process. Since this date, the catalysis of oxygen reduction by marine bio-films has been the topic of numerous controversies, but it is now commonly agreed as a basic phenomena in aerobic corrosion. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the fine mechanisms of the bio-film-catalysed reduction of oxygen: intermediate formation of hydrogen peroxide, modification of the oxide layer on the stainless steel surface, involvement of manganese species and manganese oxidising bacteria, catalysis by proteins produced by the micro-organisms... Recent results may confirm the possible involvement of hemic enzymes or proteins. Whatever the mechanisms, very promising results have been obtained with the possible application of bio-film-catalysed oxygen reduction to conceive innovative biofuel cells with stainless steel electrodes. Actually, the catalysis of oxygen reduction is a key step that still drastically hinders the development of economically efficient hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells. The current technology requires high amounts of platinum or platinum-based materials to catalyze oxygen reduction on the cathode of these cells. The prohibitive cost of platinum is a main obstacle to the commercialization of low-cost fuel cells. Unpublished results recently showed that adapting the enzyme-catalysed reaction that was assumed for bio-corrosion on the cathode of hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells may lead to a significant decrease in the charge of platinum. Moreover, it was demonstrated on a laboratory-scale fuel cell pilot that

Atomistic simulation on the plastic deformation and fracture of bio-inspired graphene/Ni nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhenyu; Wang, Dandan; Lu, Zixing; Hu, Wenjun

2016-11-01

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the plastic deformation and fracture behaviors of bio-inspired graphene/metal nanocomposites, which have a "brick-and-mortar" nanostructure, consisting of hard graphene single-layers embedded in a soft Ni matrix. The plastic deformation mechanisms of the nanocomposites were analyzed as well as their effects on the mechanical properties with various geometrical variations. It was found that the strength and ductility of the metal matrix can be highly enhanced with the addition of the staggered graphene layers, and the plastic deformation can be attributed to the interfacial sliding, dislocation nucleation, and cracks' combination. The strength of the nanocomposites strongly depends on the length scale of the nanostructure and the interlayer distance as well. In addition, slip at the interface releases the stress in graphene layers, leading to the stress distribution on the graphene more uniform. The present results are expected to contribute to the design of the nanolayered graphene/metal composites with high performance.

Bio-Inspired Vision-Based Leader-Follower Formation Flying in the Presence of Delays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Oyekan

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Flocking starlings at dusk are known for the mesmerizing and intricate shapes they generate, as well as how fluid these shapes change. They seem to do this effortlessly. Real-life vision-based flocking has not been achieved in micro-UAVs (micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to date. Towards this goal, we make three contributions in this paper: (i we used a computational approach to develop a bio-inspired architecture for vision-based Leader-Follower formation flying on two micro-UAVs. We believe that the minimal computational cost of the resulting algorithm makes it suitable for object detection and tracking during high-speed flocking; (ii we show that provided delays in the control loop of a micro-UAV are below a critical value, Kalman filter-based estimation algorithms are not required to achieve Leader-Follower formation flying; (iii unlike previous approaches, we do not use external observers, such as GPS signals or synchronized communication with flock members. These three contributions could be useful in achieving vision-based flocking in GPS-denied environments on computationally-limited agents.

B-iTRS: A Bio-Inspired Trusted Routing Scheme for Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingchuan Zhang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In WSNs, routing algorithms need to handle dynamical changes of network topology, extra overhead, energy saving, and other requirements. Therefore, routing in WSNs is an extremely interesting and challenging issue. In this paper, we present a novel bio-inspired trusted routing scheme (B-iTRS based on ant colony optimization (ACO and Physarum autonomic optimization (PAO. For trust assessment, B-iTRS monitors neighbors’ behavior in real time, receives feedback from Sink, and then assesses neighbors’ trusts based on the acquired information. For routing scheme, each node finds routes to the Sink based on ACO and PAO. In the process of path finding, B-iTRS senses the load and trust value of each node and then calculates the link load and link trust of the found routes to support the route selection. Moreover, B-iTRS also assesses the route based on PAO to maintain the route table. Simulation results show how B-iTRS can achieve the effective performance compared to existing state-of-the-art algorithms.

Bio-Inspired Supramolecular Chemistry Provides Highly Concentrated Dispersions of Carbon Nanotubes in Polythiophene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yen-Ting Lin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper we report the first observation, through X-ray diffraction, of noncovalent uracil–uracil (U–U dimeric π-stacking interactions in carbon nanotube (CNT–based supramolecular assemblies. The directionally oriented morphology determined using atomic force microscopy revealed highly organized behavior through π-stacking of U moieties in a U-functionalized CNT derivative (CNT–U. We developed a dispersion system to investigate the bio-inspired interactions between an adenine (A-terminated poly(3-adeninehexyl thiophene (PAT and CNT–U. These hybrid CNT–U/PAT materials interacted through π-stacking and multiple hydrogen bonding between the U moieties of CNT–U and the A moieties of PAT. Most importantly, the U···A multiple hydrogen bonding interactions between CNT–U and PAT enhanced the dispersion of CNT–U in a high-polarity solvent (DMSO. The morphology of these hybrids, determined using transmission electron microscopy, featured grape-like PAT bundles wrapped around the CNT–U surface; this tight connection was responsible for the enhanced dispersion of CNT–U in DMSO.

Novel Approaches for Bio-inspired Mechano-Sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drimus, Alin; Bilberg, Arne

2011-01-01

In this paper, we present novel approaches for building tactile- array sensors for use in robotic grippers inspired from biology. We start by describing the sense of touch for humans and we continue by propos- ing dierent methods to build sensors that mimic this behaviour. For the static tactile...

Development of a bio-inspired UAV perching system

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Pu

of animals and human arms approaching to a fixed or moving target for grasping or capturing. The autonomous flight control was also implemented through a PID controller. Autonomous flight performance was proved through simulation in SimMechanics. Finally, the prototyping of our designs were conducted in different generations of our bio-inspired UAV perching system, which include the leg prototype, gripper prototype, and system prototype. Both the machined prototype and 3D printed prototype were tried. The performance of these prototypes was tested through experiments.

NASA's Bio-Inspired Acoustic Absorber Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, L. Danielle

2017-01-01

Transportation noise pollutes our worlds cities, suburbs, parks, and wilderness areas. NASAs fundamental research in aviation acoustics is helping to find innovative solutions to this multifaceted problem. NASA is learning from nature to develop the next generation of quiet aircraft.The number of road vehicles and airplanes has roughly tripled since the 1960s. Transportation noise is audible in nearly all the counties across the US. Noise can damage your hearing, raise your heart rate and blood pressure, disrupt your sleep, and make communication difficult. Noise pollution threatens wildlife when it prevents animals from hearing prey, predators, and mates. Noise regulations help drive industry to develop quieter aircraft. Noise standards for aircraft have been developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization and adopted by the US Federal Aviation Administration. The US National Park Service is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to try to balance the demand for access to the parks and wilderness areas with preservation of the natural soundscape. NASA is helping by conceptualizing quieter, more efficient aircraft of the future and performing the fundamental research to make these concepts a reality someday. Recently, NASA has developed synthetic structures that can absorb sound well over a wide frequency range, and particularly below 1000 Hz, and which mimic the acoustic performance of bundles of natural reeds. We are adapting these structures to control noise on aircraft, and spacecraft. This technology might be used in many other industrial or architectural applications where acoustic absorbers have tight constraints on weight and thickness, and may be exposed to high temperatures or liquids. Information about this technology is being made available through reports and presentations available through the NASA Technical Report Server, http:ntrs.nasa.gov. Organizations who would like to collaborate with NASA or commercialize NASAs technology

One-pot Synthesis of Bio-inspired Layered Materials of 3D Graphene Network/Calcium Carbonate

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZHANG Jing; FU Zhengyi; YAO Bin; PING Hang; YU Hongjian; ZHANG Fan; ZHANG Jinyong; WANG Yucheng; WANG Hao; WANG Weimin

2017-01-01

A bio-inspired layered material of reduced graphene oxide (RGOs) and calcium carbonate was synthesized via a one-pot strategy in DMF/H2O mixed solvent. The experimental results show that the product is a layered material of wrinkled RGOs networks and micron-sized calcium carbonate particles with uniform granular diameter and homogeneous morphology, which are distributed between the layered gallery of the graphene scaffold. The polymorph and the morphology of the in-situ produced calcium carbonate particles can be manipulated by simply changing the temperature scheme. Besides, the graphene oxide was reduced to a certain extent, and the hierarchical wrinkles were generated in the RGOs layer by the in-situ formation of the calcium carbonate particles. This work provides a facile and controllable strategy for synthesizing layered material of RGOs and carbonates, and also presents a platform for making three-dimensional porous wrinkled RGOs networks.

A bio-inspired swarm robot coordination algorithm for multiple target searching

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Yan; Gan, Jing; Desai, Sachi

2008-04-01

The coordination of a multi-robot system searching for multi targets is challenging under dynamic environment since the multi-robot system demands group coherence (agents need to have the incentive to work together faithfully) and group competence (agents need to know how to work together well). In our previous proposed bio-inspired coordination method, Local Interaction through Virtual Stigmergy (LIVS), one problem is the considerable randomness of the robot movement during coordination, which may lead to more power consumption and longer searching time. To address these issues, an adaptive LIVS (ALIVS) method is proposed in this paper, which not only considers the travel cost and target weight, but also predicting the target/robot ratio and potential robot redundancy with respect to the detected targets. Furthermore, a dynamic weight adjustment is also applied to improve the searching performance. This new method a truly distributed method where each robot makes its own decision based on its local sensing information and the information from its neighbors. Basically, each robot only communicates with its neighbors through a virtual stigmergy mechanism and makes its local movement decision based on a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. The proposed ALIVS algorithm has been implemented on the embodied robot simulator, Player/Stage, in a searching target. The simulation results demonstrate the efficiency and robustness in a power-efficient manner with the real-world constraints.

Holarchical Systems and Emotional Holons : Biologically-Inspired System Designs for Control of Autonomous Aerial Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Ippolito, Corey; Plice, Laura; Pisanich, Greg

2003-01-01

The BEES (Bio-inspired Engineering for Exploration Systems) for Mars project at NASA Ames Research Center has the goal of developing bio-inspired flight control strategies to enable aerial explorers for Mars scientific investigations. This paper presents a summary of our ongoing research into biologically inspired system designs for control of unmanned autonomous aerial vehicle communities for Mars exploration. First, we present cooperative design considerations for robotic explorers based on the holarchical nature of biological systems and communities. Second, an outline of an architecture for cognitive decision making and control of individual robotic explorers is presented, modeled after the emotional nervous system of cognitive biological systems. Keywords: Holarchy, Biologically Inspired, Emotional UAV Flight Control

In Situ Atomic Force Microscopy Studies on Nucleation and Self-Assembly of Biogenic and Bio-Inspired Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng Zeng

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Through billions of years of evolution, nature has been able to create highly sophisticated and ordered structures in living systems, including cells, cellular components and viruses. The formation of these structures involves nucleation and self-assembly, which are fundamental physical processes associated with the formation of any ordered structure. It is important to understand how biogenic materials self-assemble into functional and highly ordered structures in order to determine the mechanisms of biological systems, as well as design and produce new classes of materials which are inspired by nature but equipped with better physiochemical properties for our purposes. An ideal tool for the study of nucleation and self-assembly is in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM, which has been widely used in this field and further developed for different applications in recent years. The main aim of this work is to review the latest contributions that have been reported on studies of nucleation and self-assembly of biogenic and bio-inspired materials using in situ AFM. We will address this topic by introducing the background of AFM, and discussing recent in situ AFM studies on nucleation and self-assembly of soft biogenic, soft bioinspired and hard materials.

Game-like Technology Innovation Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magnussen, Rikke

2011-01-01

  The aim of this paper is to discuss the first results and methodological challenges and perspectives of designing game-inspired scenarios for implementation of innovation processes into schools' science education. This paper comprises and report on a case study of a game-inspired innovation...... scenario designed for technology education in grades 7 - 9 in Danish schools. In the paper, methodological challenges of doing design-based research into technology innovation education are discussed. The preliminary results from the first studies of a game-inspired technology innovation camp are also...... presented, along with discussions of the future of development of these educational spaces....

Formulation of basic principles for innovative combustion and work processes; Projekt Erarbeitung von Grundlagen fuer innovative Brennverfahren und motorische Arbeitsprozesse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barroso, G.; Escher, A.; Boulouchos, K. [Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule (ETH), Labor fuer Aerothermochemie und Verbrennungssysteme IET, ETH-Zentrum, Zuerich (Switzerland)

2004-07-01

This yearly report for 2004 presents a review of work being done on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) at the Laboratory for Aero-thermochemistry and Combustion Systems at the Federal Institute of Technology ETH in Zurich, Switzerland, on the development of basic principles for innovative combustion and work processes. A successfully-used approach involving reaction-path analysis, heat-release analysis and the optimisation of bio-inspired algorithms is discussed. Experimental investigations made using the high-pressure, high-temperature cell at the ETH are described and initial results are discussed. The commissioning of a one-stroke Rapid Compression Machine EHT and the results of initial experiments are presented.

Design of a bio-inspired pneumatic artificial muscle with self-contained sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Erin, Onder; Pol, Nishant; Valle, Luis; Yong-Lae Park

2016-08-01

Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) are one of the most famous linear actuators in bio-inspired robotics. They can generate relatively high linear force considering their form factors and weights. Furthermore, PAMs are inexpensive compared with traditional electromagnetic actuators (e.g. DC motors) and also inherently light and compliant. In robotics applications, however, they typically require external sensing mechanisms due to their nonlinear behaviors, which may make the entire mechanical system bulky and complicated, limiting their use in simple systems. This study presents the design and fabrication of a low-cost McKibben-type PAM with a self-contained displacement and force sensing capability that does not require any external sensing elements. The proposed PAM can detect axial contraction force and displacement at the same time. In this study, the design of a traditional McKibben muscle was modified to include an inductive coil surrounding the muscle fibers. Then, a thin, soft silicone layer was coated outside of the muscle to protect and hold the sensing coil on the actuator. This novel design measures coil inductance change to determine the contraction force and the displacement. The process can be applied to a variety of existing McKibben actuator designs without significantly changing the rigidity of the actuator while minimizing the device's footprint.

Innovations and economic success in Finnish equine and bio-energy enterprises; Innovaatiotoiminta ja taloudellinen menestyminen hevosalan ja bioenergia-alan pienyrityksissae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiilikainen, S.

2009-07-01

Cluster of industries is the critical mass of industries, which are located into certain geographical areas. In cluster supporting and related industries are linked through vertical and a horizontal relationship. Rural clusters are based on local traditions, resources and knowledge. The key advantage of cluster of industries is the fact that innovations are often created in them. The purpose of this study is to find out how creation of innovations can be improved in rural cluster of industries. The subject of this study is the link between innovations and the financial success of enterprises. The research questions are formulated as: What kinds of innovations take place in equine and bio-energy enterprises? How different factors affect to innovations made in these enterprises? How does competitiveness, the economic success of enterprises relate these innovations? Theoretical background of the study lies on the Schumpeter's' theory of entrepreneurship and innovations are defined broadly as doing new things or doing things already done on a new way. Data were collected by postal survey in August 2008 (n =165), the respondents were equine entrepreneurs from Uusimaa region and bio-energy entrepreneurs in Pohjois-Pohjanmaa region. Data were analysed using multivariate analyses. The study results reveal that, most of the innovations related to services or pricing the services. It was fairly uncommon to develop new business models, which was worrying, because many of the enterprises had enlarged or invested heavily on the capacity. The economic success did relate to innovations; those enterprises who performed poorly had not introduced any innovations or improvements during past three years, whist enterprises with good or average performance had introduced innovations or improvements. (orig.)

Bio-inspired synthesis and characterization of superparamagnetic particles; Sintese e caracterizacao bioinspirada de particulas superparamagneticas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castro, Vinicius F., E-mail: vfc_mg@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Federal de Itajuba (UNIFEI), MG (Brazil); Queiroz, Alvaro A.A. [Universidade Federal de Itajuba (UNIFEI), MG (Brazil). Centro de Estudos e Inovacao em Materiais Biofuncionais Avancados

2012-08-15

This paper discusses the bio-inspired synthesis of type YFeAl ferrites encapsulated into polyglycerol dendrimers (PGLD) generation 3. The structure and morphological properties of the system YFeAl/PGLD was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The magnetic properties were studied through the techniques of Moessbauer spectroscopy and magnetization. The cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles encapsulated in dendrimers PGLD G3 at the cell membrane was studied against mammalian cell line CHO.K1 measuring the amount of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released by the cell damage. Microscopy TEM and XRD analysis indicate that spherical nanoparticles were obtained highly crystalline and monodisperse with size 20 nm

Strong Quantum Confinement Effects and Chiral Excitons in Bio-Inspired ZnO–Amino Acid Cocrystals

KAUST Repository

Muhammed, Madathumpady Abubaker Habeeb

2018-02-20

Elucidating the underlying principles behind band gap engineering is paramount for the successful implementation of semiconductors in photonic and optoelectronic devices. Recently it has been shown that the band gap of a wide and direct band gap semiconductor, such as ZnO, can be modified upon cocrystallization with amino acids, with the role of the biomolecules remaining unclear. Here, by probing and modeling the light-emitting properties of ZnO-amino acid cocrystals, we identify the amino acids\\' role on this band gap modulation and demonstrate their effective chirality transfer to the interband excitations in ZnO. Our 3D quantum model suggests that the strong band edge emission blue-shift in the cocrystals can be explained by a quasi-periodic distribution of amino acid potential barriers within the ZnO crystal lattice. Overall, our findings indicate that biomolecule cocrystallization can be used as a truly bio-inspired means to induce chiral quantum confinement effects in quasi-bulk semiconductors.

Improvement to the pattern of control rods of the equilibrium cycle of 18 months for the CLV using bio-inspired algorithms; Mejora del patron de barras de control del ciclo de equilibrio de 18 meses para la CLV empleando algoritmos bio-inspirados

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perusquia, R.; Ortiz, J.J.; Montes, J.L. [ININ, 52045 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)]. e-mail: rpc@nuclear.inin.mx

2003-07-01

Nowadays in the National Institute of Nuclear Research are carried out studies with some bio-inspired optimization techniques to improve the performance of the fuel cycles of the boiling water reactors of the Laguna Verde power plant (CLV). In the present work two bio-inspired techniques were applied with the purpose of improving the performance of a balance cycle of 18 months developed for the CLV: genetic algorithms (AG) and systems based on ants colonies (SCH). The design of the reference cycle it represents in several aspects an optimal cycle proposed starting from the experience of several operation decades with the boiling water reactors (BWR initials for Boiling Water Reactor) in the world. To try to improve their performance is beforehand a difficult challenge and it puts on test the feasibility of the optimization methods in the reloads design. The study of the bio-inspired techniques was centered exclusively on the obtaining of the control rod patterns (PBC) trying to overcome the capacity factor reached in the design of the reference cycle. It was fixed the cycle length such that the decrease of the coast down period would represent an increase of the capacity factor of the cycle; so that, it diminishes the annual cost associated with the capital cost of the plant. As consequence of the study, was found that the algorithm based on the ants colonies reaches to diminish the coast down period in five and half days respect to the original balance cycle, what represents an annual saving of $US 74,000. Since the original cycle was optimized, the above-mentioned, shows the ability of the SCH for the optimization of the cycle design. With the AG it was reach to approach to the original balance cycle with a coast down period greater in seven days estimating an annual penalization of $US 130,000. (Author)

Bio-inspired dental fillings

Science.gov (United States)

Deyhle, Hans; Bunk, Oliver; Buser, Stefan; Krastl, Gabriel; Zitzmann, Nicola U.; Ilgenstein, Bernd; Beckmann, Felix; Pfeiffer, Franz; Weiger, Roland; Müller, Bert

2009-08-01

Human teeth are anisotropic composites. Dentin as the core material of the tooth consists of nanometer-sized calcium phosphate crystallites embedded in collagen fiber networks. It shows its anisotropy on the micrometer scale by its well-oriented microtubules. The detailed three-dimensional nanostructure of the hard tissues namely dentin and enamel, however, is not understood, although numerous studies on the anisotropic mechanical properties have been performed and evaluated to explain the tooth function including the enamel-dentin junction acting as effective crack barrier. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) with a spatial resolution in the 10 μm range allows determining the size and orientation of the constituents on the nanometer scale with reasonable precision. So far, only some dental materials, i.e. the fiber reinforced posts exhibit anisotropic properties related to the micrometer-size glass fibers. Dental fillings, composed of nanostructures oriented similar to the natural hard tissues of teeth, however, do not exist at all. The current X-ray-based investigations of extracted human teeth provide evidence for oriented micro- and nanostructures in dentin and enamel. These fundamental quantitative findings result in profound knowledge to develop biologically inspired dental fillings with superior resistance to thermal and mechanical shocks.

Artificial heartbeat: design and fabrication of a biologically inspired pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walters, Peter; Stephenson, Robert; Lewis, Amy; Stinchcombe, Andrew; Ieropoulos, Ioannis

2013-01-01

We present a biologically inspired actuator exhibiting a novel pumping action. The design of the ‘artificial heartbeat’ actuator is inspired by physical principles derived from the structure and function of the human heart. The actuator employs NiTi artificial muscles and is powered by electrical energy generated by microbial fuel cells (MFCs). We describe the design and fabrication of the actuator and report the results of tests conducted to characterize its performance. This is the first artificial muscle-driven pump to be powered by MFCs fed on human urine. Results are presented in terms of the peak pumping pressure generated by the actuator, as well as for the volume of fluid transferred, when the actuator was powered by energy stored in a capacitor bank, which was charged by 24 MFCs fed on urine. The results demonstrate the potential for the artificial heartbeat actuator to be employed as a fluid circulation pump in future generations of MFC-powered robots (‘EcoBots’) that extract energy from organic waste. We also envisage that the actuator could in the future form part of a bio-robotic artwork or ‘bio-automaton’ that could help increase public awareness of research in robotics, bio-energy and biologically inspired design. (paper)

A bio-inspired spatial patterning circuit.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kai-Yuan; Joe, Danial J; Shealy, James B; Land, Bruce R; Shen, Xiling

2014-01-01

Lateral Inhibition (LI) is a widely conserved patterning mechanism in biological systems across species. Distinct from better-known Turing patterns, LI depend on cell-cell contact rather than diffusion. We built an in silico genetic circuit model to analyze the dynamic properties of LI. The model revealed that LI amplifies differences between neighboring cells to push them into opposite states, hence forming stable 2-D patterns. Inspired by this insight, we designed and implemented an electronic circuit that recapitulates LI patterning dynamics. This biomimetic system serve as a physical model to elucidate the design principle of generating robust patterning through spatial feedback, regardless of the underlying devices being biological or electrical.

Biomimetics as a Model for Inspiring Human Innovation

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2006-01-01

Electroactive polymers (EAP) are human made actuators that are the closest to mimic biological muscles. Technology was advanced to the level that biologically inspired robots are taking increasing roles in the world around us and making science fiction ideas a closer engineering reality. Artificial technologies (AI, AM, and others) are increasingly becoming practical tools for making biologically inspired devices and instruments with enormous potential for space applications. Polymer materials are used to produce figures that resemble human and animals. These materials are widely employed by the movie industry for making acting figures and by the orthopedic industry to construct cyborg components. There are still many challenges ahead that are critical to making such possibilities practical. The annual armwrestling contest is providing an exciting measure of how well advances in EAP are implemented to address the field challenges. There is a need to document natures inventions in an engineering form to possibly inspire new capabilities.

Business Inspiration: Small Business Leadership in Recovery?

Science.gov (United States)

Rae, David; Price, Liz; Bosworth, Gary; Parkinson, Paul

2012-01-01

Business Inspiration was a short, action-centred leadership and innovation development programme designed for owners and managers of smaller firms to address business survival and repositioning needs arising from the UK's economic downturn. The article examines the design and delivery of Business Inspiration and the impact of the programme on…

Mechanical properties of a bio-inspired robotic knifefish with an undulatory propulsor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curet, Oscar M; Patankar, Neelesh A; MacIver, Malcolm A; Lauder, George V

2011-01-01

South American electric knifefish are a leading model system within neurobiology. Recent efforts have focused on understanding their biomechanics and relating this to their neural processing strategies. Knifefish swim by means of an undulatory fin that runs most of the length of their body, affixed to the belly. Propelling themselves with this fin enables them to keep their body relatively straight while swimming, enabling straightforward robotic implementation with a rigid hull. In this study, we examined the basic properties of undulatory swimming through use of a robot that was similar in some key respects to the knifefish. As we varied critical fin kinematic variables such as frequency, amplitude, and wavelength of sinusoidal traveling waves, we measured the force generated by the robot when it swam against a stationary sensor, and its velocity while swimming freely within a flow tunnel system. Our results show that there is an optimal operational region in the fin's kinematic parameter space. The optimal actuation parameters found for the robotic knifefish are similar to previously observed parameters for the black ghost knifefish, Apteronotus albifrons. Finally, we used our experimental results to show how the force generated by the robotic fin can be decomposed into thrust and drag terms. Our findings are useful for future bio-inspired underwater vehicles as well as for understanding the mechanics of knifefish swimming.

Unraveling Dutch citizens' perceptions on the bio-based economy : The case of bioplastics, bio-jetfuels and small-scale bio-refineries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lynch, Durwin H J; Klaassen, Pim; Broerse, Jacqueline E W

2017-01-01

Little is known about how citizens perceive the transition towards a bio-based economy (BBE), despite the fact that they are one of the most important actors in this transition. Citizens' perceptions of bio-based innovations can support policy-makers to improve the quality of decision-making and the

Bio-inspired piezoelectric linear motor driven by a single-phase harmonic wave with an asymmetric stator.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Qiaosheng; Miao, Enming; Wu, Bingxuan; Chen, Weikang; Lei, Xiujun; He, Liangguo

2017-07-01

A novel, bio-inspired, single-phase driven piezoelectric linear motor (PLM) using an asymmetric stator was designed, fabricated, and tested to avoid mode degeneracy and to simplify the drive mechanism of a piezoelectric motor. A piezoelectric transducer composed of two piezoelectric stacks and a displacement amplifier was used as the driving element of the PLM. Two simple and specially designed claws performed elliptical motion. A numerical simulation was performed to design the stator and determine the feasibility of the design mechanism of the PLM. Moreover, an experimental setup was built to validate the working principles, as well as to evaluate the performance, of the PLM. The prototype motor outputs a no-load speed of 233.7 mm/s at a voltage of 180 V p-p and a maximum thrust force of 2.3 N under a preload of 10 N. This study verified the feasibility of the proposed design and provided a method to simplify the driving harmonic signal and structure of PLMs.

Bio-inspired Iron Catalysts for Hydrocarbon Oxidations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Que, Jr., Lawrence [Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)

2016-03-22

Stereoselective oxidation of C–H and C=C bonds are catalyzed by nonheme iron enzymes. Inspired by these bioinorganic systems, our group has been exploring the use of nonheme iron complexes as catalysts for the oxidation of hydrocarbons using H2O2 as an environmentally friendly and atom-efficient oxidant in order to gain mechanistic insights into these novel transformations. In particular, we have focused on clarifying the nature of the high-valent iron oxidants likely to be involved in these transformations.

A novel angle computation and calibration algorithm of bio-inspired sky-light polarization navigation sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Xian, Zhiwen; Hu, Xiaoping; Lian, Junxiang; Zhang, Lilian; Cao, Juliang; Wang, Yujie; Ma, Tao

2014-09-15

Navigation plays a vital role in our daily life. As traditional and commonly used navigation technologies, Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) can provide accurate location information, but suffer from the accumulative error of inertial sensors and cannot be used in a satellite denied environment. The remarkable navigation ability of animals shows that the pattern of the polarization sky can be used for navigation. A bio-inspired POLarization Navigation Sensor (POLNS) is constructed to detect the polarization of skylight. Contrary to the previous approach, we utilize all the outputs of POLNS to compute input polarization angle, based on Least Squares, which provides optimal angle estimation. In addition, a new sensor calibration algorithm is presented, in which the installation angle errors and sensor biases are taken into consideration. Derivation and implementation of our calibration algorithm are discussed in detail. To evaluate the performance of our algorithms, simulation and real data test are done to compare our algorithms with several exiting algorithms. Comparison results indicate that our algorithms are superior to the others and are more feasible and effective in practice.

A Wireless Fatigue Monitoring System Utilizing a Bio-Inspired Tree Ring Data Tracking Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shi Bai

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Fatigue, a hot scientific research topic for centuries, can trigger sudden failure of critical structures such as aircraft and railway systems, resulting in enormous casualties as well as economic losses. The fatigue life of certain structures is intrinsically random and few monitoring techniques are capable of tracking the full life-cycle fatigue damage. In this paper, a novel in-situ wireless real-time fatigue monitoring system using a bio-inspired tree ring data tracking technique is proposed. The general framework, methodology, and verification of this intelligent system are discussed in details. The rain-flow counting (RFC method is adopted as the core algorithm which quantifies fatigue damages, and Digital Signal Processing (DSP is introduced as the core module for data collection and analysis. Laboratory test results based on strain gauges and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF sensors have shown that the developed intelligent system can provide a reliable quick feedback and early warning of fatigue failure. With the merits of low cost, high accuracy and great reliability, the developed wireless fatigue sensing system can be further applied to mechanical engineering, civil infrastructures, transportation systems, aerospace engineering, etc.

A wireless fatigue monitoring system utilizing a bio-inspired tree ring data tracking technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Shi; Li, Xuan; Xie, Zhaohui; Zhou, Zhi; Ou, Jinping

2014-03-05

Fatigue, a hot scientific research topic for centuries, can trigger sudden failure of critical structures such as aircraft and railway systems, resulting in enormous casualties as well as economic losses. The fatigue life of certain structures is intrinsically random and few monitoring techniques are capable of tracking the full life-cycle fatigue damage. In this paper, a novel in-situ wireless real-time fatigue monitoring system using a bio-inspired tree ring data tracking technique is proposed. The general framework, methodology, and verification of this intelligent system are discussed in details. The rain-flow counting (RFC) method is adopted as the core algorithm which quantifies fatigue damages, and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) is introduced as the core module for data collection and analysis. Laboratory test results based on strain gauges and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensors have shown that the developed intelligent system can provide a reliable quick feedback and early warning of fatigue failure. With the merits of low cost, high accuracy and great reliability, the developed wireless fatigue sensing system can be further applied to mechanical engineering, civil infrastructures, transportation systems, aerospace engineering, etc.

Media Pembelajaran Interaktif Lectora Inspire sebagai Inovasi Pembelajaran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norma Dewi Shalikhah

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract The utilization of information and communication technology in education sector is a tremendous output. Support of ICT is hoped to become an innovation in learning with many involving information technology components inside. Therefore, in globalization era, education sector can not pass from its extent, with involves the inherent technology can produce a system of education. This paper discusses the interactive learning media that involve education technology using lectora inspire application. Lectora inspire is designed specifically for the beginner with purpose user friendly to use to make learning media, and can make the material test or evaluation. The development of interactive learning media with lectora inspire is conducted with how to provide training to the teachers in the elementary school. The methods are done with phases, includes gathering information, planning tools, implementing, presenting and reflecting. The object of this training is MIM Jagalan and MIM Jumoyo Greeting sub Magelang regency. Keywords: Media Interactive Learning, Lectora Inspire, Learning Innovation

Soft-robotic arm inspired by the octopus: II. From artificial requirements to innovative technological solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazzolai, B; Margheri, L; Cianchetti, M; Dario, P; Laschi, C

2012-01-01

Soft robotics is a current focus in robotics research because of the expected capability of soft robots to better interact with real-world environments. As a point of inspiration in the development of innovative technologies in soft robotics, octopuses are particularly interesting ‘animal models’. Octopus arms have unique biomechanical capabilities that combine significant pliability with the ability to exert a great deal of force, because they lack rigid structures but can change and control their degree of stiffness. The octopus arm motor capability is a result of the peculiar arrangement of its muscles and the properties of its tissues. These special abilities have been investigated by the authors in a specific study dedicated to identifying the key principles underlying these biological functions and deriving engineering requirements for robotics solutions. This paper, which is the second in a two-part series, presents how the identified requirements can be used to create innovative technological solutions, such as soft materials, mechanisms and actuators. Experiments indicate the ability of these proposed solutions to ensure the same performance as in the biological model in terms of compliance, elongation and force. These results represent useful and relevant components of innovative soft-robotic systems and suggest their potential use to create a new generation of highly dexterous, soft-bodied robots. (paper)

Communication analysis for feedback control of civil infrastructure using cochlea-inspired sensing nodes

Science.gov (United States)

Peckens, Courtney A.; Cook, Ireana; Lynch, Jerome P.

2016-04-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have emerged as a reliable, low-cost alternative to the traditional wired sensing paradigm. While such networks have made significant progress in the field of structural monitoring, significantly less development has occurred for feedback control applications. Previous work in WSNs for feedback control has highlighted many of the challenges of using this technology including latency in the wireless communication channel and computational inundation at the individual sensing nodes. This work seeks to overcome some of those challenges by drawing inspiration from the real-time sensing and control techniques employed by the biological central nervous system and in particular the mammalian cochlea. A novel bio-inspired wireless sensor node was developed that employs analog filtering techniques to perform time-frequency decomposition of a sensor signal, thus encompassing the functionality of the cochlea. The node then utilizes asynchronous sampling of the filtered signal to compress the signal prior to communication. This bio-inspired sensing architecture is extended to a feedback control application in order to overcome the traditional challenges currently faced by wireless control. In doing this, however, the network experiences high bandwidths of low-significance information exchange between nodes, resulting in some lost data. This study considers the impact of this lost data on the control capabilities of the bio-inspired control architecture and finds that it does not significantly impact the effectiveness of control.

Innovative didaktik

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Birthe

Innovative didaktik. This deals with innovative didaktik from at methodological point of view in three ways - how to define the concept, how to develop it and how analyse it. Issues analysed: How to create innovative students? How to create innovative learning envoriments? These are core question...... in "Projekt Innovativ didaktik". The hidden curriculum is to inspire students to develop entreprenuership and creativty....

Bio-inspired hybrid microelectrodes: a hybrid solution to improve long-term performance of chronic intracortical implants.

Science.gov (United States)

De Faveri, Sara; Maggiolini, Emma; Miele, Ermanno; De Angelis, Francesco; Cesca, Fabrizia; Benfenati, Fabio; Fadiga, Luciano

2014-01-01

The use of implants that allow chronic electrical stimulation and recording in the brain of human patients is currently limited by a series of events that cause the deterioration over time of both the electrode surface and the surrounding tissue. The main reason of failure is the tissue inflammatory reaction that eventually causes neuronal loss and glial encapsulation, resulting in a progressive increase of the electrode-electrolyte impedance. Here, we describe a new method to create bio-inspired electrodes to mimic the mechanical properties and biological composition of the host tissue. This combination has a great potential to increase the implant lifetime by reducing tissue reaction and improving electrical coupling. Our method implies coating the electrode with reprogrammed neural or glial cells encapsulated within a hydrogel layer. We chose fibrin as a hydrogel and primary hippocampal neurons or astrocytes from rat brain as cellular layer. We demonstrate that fibrin coating is highly biocompatible, forms uniform coatings of controllable thickness, does not alter the electrochemical properties of the microelectrode and allows good quality recordings. Moreover, it reduces the amount of host reactive astrocytes - over time - compared to a bare wire and is fully reabsorbed by the surrounding tissue within 7 days after implantation, avoiding the common problem of hydrogels swelling. Both astrocytes and neurons could be successfully grown onto the electrode surface within the fibrin hydrogel without altering the electrochemical properties of the microelectrode. This bio-hybrid device has therefore a good potential to improve the electrical integration at the neuron-electrode interface and support the long-term success of neural prostheses.

Biomimetic Hair Sensor Arrays: From Inspiration To Implementation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jaganatharaja, R.K.; Bruinink, C.M.; Kolster, M.L.; Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; Wiegerink, Remco J.; Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.

2010-01-01

In this work, we report on the successful implementation of highly sensitive artificial hair-based flow-sensor arrays for sensing low-frequency air flows. Artificial hair sensors are bio-inspired from crickets’ cercal filiform hairs, one of nature’s best in sensing small air flows. The presented

Bio-inspired green synthesis of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} spherical magnetic nanoparticles using Syzygium cumini seed extract

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkateswarlu, Sada; Natesh Kumar, B.; Prasad, C.H.; Venkateswarlu, P.; Jyothi, N.V.V., E-mail: nvvjyothi01@gmail.com

2014-09-15

A novel and bio-inspired Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} spherical magnetic nanoparticles (SMNPs) were synthesized using Syzygium cumini (S. cumini) seed extract, which is a non-toxic ecofriendly fruit waste material. S. cumini seed extract acts as a green solvent, reducing and capping agent in which sodium acetate acts as electrostatic stabilizing agent. The green synthesized nanoparticles were characterized with the help of various techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), FTIR spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption and desorption analysis techniques. The XRD study divulged that the synthesized SMNPs have inverse spinel cubic structure. The hysteresis loop of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles shows an excellent ferromagnetic behavior with saturation magnetization value of 13.6 emu/g.

Bio-inspired particle separator design based on the food retention mechanism by suspension-feeding fish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hung, Tien-Chieh; Piedrahita, Raul H; Cheer, Angela

2012-01-01

A new particle separator is designed using a crossflow filtration mechanism inspired by suspension-feeding fish in this study. To construct the model of the bio-inspired particle separator, computational fluid dynamics techniques are used, and parameters related to separator shape, fluid flow and particle properties that might affect the performance in removing particles from the flow, are varied and tested. The goal is to induce a flow rotation which enhances the separation of particles from the flow, reduce the particle-laden flow that exits via a collection zone at the lower/posterior end of the separator, while at the same time increase the concentration of particles in that flow. Based on preliminary particle removal efficiency tests, an exiting flow through the collection zone of about 8% of the influent flow rate is selected for all the performance tests of the separator including trials with particles carried by air flow instead of water. Under this condition, the simulation results yield similar particle removal efficiencies in water and air but with different particle properties. Particle removal efficiencies (percentage of influent particles that exit through the collection zone) were determined for particles ranging in size from 1 to 1500 µm with a density between 1000 and 1150 kg m −3 in water and 2 and 19 mm and 68 and 2150 kg m −3 in air. As an example, removal efficiencies are 66% and 64% for 707 µm diameter particles with a density of 1040 kg m −3 in water and for 2 mm particles with a density of 68 kg m −3 in air, respectively. No significant performance difference is found by geometrically scaling the inlet diameter of the separator up or down in the range from 2.5 to 10 cm. (paper)

New inclinations of research, development and innovation for public forest in regard to bio-economy perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deleuze, Christine; Richter, Claudine; Ulrich, Erwin; Musch, Brigitte; Descroix, Laurent; Pousse, Noemie; Legay, Myriam; Dreyfus, Philippe; Bock, Jerome; Riond, Catherine

2016-01-01

The area of French forest has grew by 60% in a century, and is at the fourth position on the European rank; Its harvesting was doubled at the same time; however the national trade-balance of the wood products sector is still in deficit. This forest is also facing important changes: climatic (composition and productivity of forest are affected, frequency and intensity of forest disturbances increase), societal (workers are fewer in the forest and we are more aware of benefits and services to society provided by forest) and bio-economic (fossil resources decrease and we need of renewable materials). Wood is a versatile material which is renewable and can be used from construction, furniture to pulp and composite material, with a final recycling in energy. This cascading use of wood products enables a low carbon production of materials and energy, particularly effective for new challenges in bio-economy. To address this joint challenge of stronger and differentiated demands on wood resource and threats and constraints on the forest, some innovations and research of the public forest service are presented in this paper. The diversity of solutions (in harvesting, silvicultural treatment, species, soil monitoring...) underlines the potential of innovations in forest management and the need to mix and transfer them. (authors)

Biomimetics: nature based innovation

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2012-01-01

"Based on the concept that nature offers numerous sources of inspiration for inventions related to mechanisms, materials, processes, and algorithms, this book covers the topic of biomimetics and the inspired innovation...

A Bio-Inspired Model-Based Approach for Context-Aware Post-WIMP Tele-Rehabilitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Víctor López-Jaquero

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Tele-rehabilitation is one of the main domains where Information and Communication Technologies (ICT have been proven useful to move healthcare from care centers to patients’ home. Moreover, patients, especially those carrying out a physical therapy, cannot use a traditional Window, Icon, Menu, Pointer (WIMP system, but they need to interact in a natural way, that is, there is a need to move from WIMP systems to Post-WIMP ones. Moreover, tele-rehabilitation systems should be developed following the context-aware approach, so that they are able to adapt to the patients’ context to provide them with usable and effective therapies. In this work a model-based approach is presented to assist stakeholders in the development of context-aware Post-WIMP tele-rehabilitation systems. It entails three different models: (i a task model for designing the rehabilitation tasks; (ii a context model to facilitate the adaptation of these tasks to the context; and (iii a bio-inspired presentation model to specify thoroughly how such tasks should be performed by the patients. Our proposal overcomes one of the limitations of the model-based approach for the development of context-aware systems supporting the specification of non-functional requirements. Finally, a case study is used to illustrate how this proposal can be put into practice to design a real world rehabilitation task.

(YIP 10) - Bio-Inspired Interfaces for Hybrid Structures

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-01

vertebrate bones and teeth, mollusk shells and arthropod exoskeletons [1, 2]. Two interesting examples of such biological systems are gecko’s footpad...range from non-wetting painting and smart adhesives [35-41] to intricate bioinspired designs such as nano- and micro- robotics with climbing abilities...smart adhesion. Advanced Materials, 2008. 20(4): p. 711-716. 42. Wood, R.J., The first takeoff of a biologically inspired at-scale robotic insect

Carbon-Nanotube-Supported Bio-Inspired Nickel Catalyst and Its Integration in Hybrid Hydrogen/Air Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Gentil, Solène; Lalaoui, Noémie; Dutta, Arnab; Nedellec, Yannig; Cosnier, Serge; Shaw, Wendy J; Artero, Vincent; Le Goff, Alan

2017-02-06

A biomimetic nickel bis-diphosphine complex incorporating the amino acid arginine in the outer coordination sphere was immobilized on modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) through electrostatic interactions. The functionalized redox nanomaterial exhibits reversible electrocatalytic activity for the H 2 /2 H + interconversion from pH 0 to 9, with catalytic preference for H 2 oxidation at all pH values. The high activity of the complex over a wide pH range allows us to integrate this bio-inspired nanomaterial either in an enzymatic fuel cell together with a multicopper oxidase at the cathode, or in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) using Pt/C at the cathode. The Ni-based PEMFC reaches 14 mW cm -2 , only six-times-less as compared to full-Pt conventional PEMFC. The Pt-free enzyme-based fuel cell delivers ≈2 mW cm -2 , a new efficiency record for a hydrogen biofuel cell with base metal catalysts. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Bio-inspired nano-photodiode for Low Light, High Resolution and crosstalk-free CMOS image sensing

KAUST Repository

Saffih, Faycal

2011-05-01

Previous attempts have been devoted to mimic biological vision intelligence at the architectural system level. In this paper, a novel imitation of biological visual system intelligence is suggested, at the device level with the introduction of novel photodiode morphology. The proposed bio-inspired nanorod photodiode puts the depletion region length on the path of the incident photon instead of on its width, as the case is with the planar photodiodes. The depletion region has a revolving volume to increase the photodiode responsivity, and thus its photosensitivity. In addition, it can virtually boost the pixel fill factor (FF) above the 100% classical limit due to decoupling of its vertical sensing area from its limited planar circuitry area. Furthermore, the suggested nanorod photodiode photosensitivity is analytically proven to be higher than that of the planar photodiode. We also show semi-empirically that the responsivity of the suggested device varies linearly with its height; this important feature has been confirmed using Sentaurus simulation. The proposed nano-photorod is believed to meet the increasingly stringent High-Resolution-Low-Light (HRLL) detection requirements of the camera-phone and biomedical imaging markets. © 2011 IEEE.

Bio-inspired hybrid microelectrodes. A hybrid solution to improve long-term performance of chronic intracortical implants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara eDe Faveri

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The use of implants that allow chronic electrical stimulation and recording in the brain of human patients is currently limited by a series of events that cause the deterioration over time of both the electrode surface and the surrounding tissue. The main reason of failure is the tissue inflammatory reaction that eventually causes neuronal loss and glial encapsulation, resulting in a progressive increase of the electrode-electrolyte impedance. Here, we describe a new method to create bio-inspired electrodes to mimic the mechanical properties and biological composition of the host tissue. This combination has a great potential to increase the implant lifetime by reducing tissue reaction and improving electrical coupling. Our method implies coating the electrode with reprogrammed neural or glial cells encapsulated within a hydrogel layer. We chose fibrin as a hydrogel and primary hippocampal neurons or astrocytes from rat brain as cellular layer. We demonstrate that fibrin coating is highly biocompatible, forms uniform coatings of controllable thickness, does not alter the electrochemical properties of the microelectrode and allows good quality recordings. Moreover, it reduces the amount of host reactive astrocytes - over time - compared to a bare wire and is fully reabsorbed by the surrounding tissue within 7 days after implantation, avoiding the common problem of hydrogels swelling. Both astrocytes and neurons could be successfully grown onto the electrode surface within the fibrin hydrogel without altering the electrochemical properties of the microelectrode. This bio-hybrid device has therefore a good potential to improve the electrical integration at the neuron-electrode interface and support the long-term success of neural prostheses.

Engineering and enterprise inspiring innovation

CERN Document Server

Liu, Ailin

2016-01-01

This book presents contributions from researchers, practitioners and professional institutions that published papers in the Proceedings of the Educating Enterprising Engineers and Scientists conference, held in London, UK on 17th June 2015. The topics considered range from educating engineers to giving a business edge and embedding entrepreneurship to achieve integrated education and curriculum innovation.   Making an important contribution to the development and delivery of engineering education now and further into the future, this collection of papers shares knowledge and good practice in key ways to educate enterprising engineers and scientists looking to address complex global issues such as health & well-being, water, energy and food. Seeking ways to redefine and embrace sustainable development, this work puts forward the case for innovative science and engineering education to meet the demand for talent and leadership.

Bio-inspired control of joint torque and knee stiffness in a robotic lower limb exoskeleton using a central pattern generator.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrade, Stefan O; Nager, Yannik; Wu, Amy R; Gassert, Roger; Ijspeert, Auke

2017-07-01

Robotic lower limb exoskeletons are becoming increasingly popular in therapy and recreational use. However, most exoskeletons are still rather limited in their locomotion speed and the activities of daily live they can perform. Furthermore, they typically do not allow for a dynamic adaptation to the environment, as they are often controlled with predefined reference trajectories. Inspired by human leg stiffness modulation during walking, variable stiffness actuators increase flexibility without the need for more complex controllers. Actuation with adaptable stiffness is inspired by the human leg stiffness modulation during walking. However, this actuation principle also introduces the stiffness setpoint as an additional degree of freedom that needs to be coordinated with the joint trajectories. As a potential solution to this issue a bio-inspired controller based on a central pattern generator (CPG) is presented in this work. It generates coordinated joint torques and knee stiffness modulations to produce flexible and dynamic gait patterns for an exoskeleton with variable knee stiffness actuation. The CPG controller is evaluated and optimized in simulation using a model of the exoskeleton. The CPG controller produced stable and smooth gait for walking speeds from 0.4 m/s up to 1.57 m/s with a torso stabilizing force that simulated the use of crutches, which are commonly needed by exoskeleton users. Through the CPG, the knee stiffness intrinsically adapted to the frequency and phase of the gait, when the speed was changed. Additionally, it adjusted to changes in the environment in the form of uneven terrain by reacting to ground contact forces. This could allow future exoskeletons to be more adaptive to various environments, thus making ambulation more robust.

Bio-inspired functional surfaces for advanced applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malshe, Ajay; Rajurkar, Kamlakar; Samant, Anoop

2013-01-01

, are being evolved to a higher state of intelligent functionality. These surfaces became more efficient by using combinations of available materials, along with unique physical and chemical strategies. Noteworthy physical strategies include features such as texturing and structure, and chemical strategies...... such as sensing and actuation. These strategies collectively enable functional surfaces to deliver extraordinary adhesion, hydrophobicity, multispectral response, energy scavenging, thermal regulation, antibiofouling, and other advanced functions. Production industries have been intrigued with such biological...... surface strategies in order to learn clever surface architectures and implement those architectures to impart advanced functionalities into manufactured consumer products. This keynote paper delivers a critical review of such inspiring biological surfaces and their nonbiological product analogs, where...

Social Innovation and Collaborative Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Linda Lundgaard; Hulgård, Lars

2014-01-01

In this chapter we explore the roots and inspirations as well as the innovative pedagogy, learning and study programmes in social innovation and social entrepreneurship at Roskilde University in Denmark. We further outline the contribution of academic capacity building nationally...... and internationally in the area of social entrepreneurship and social innovation. We sketch out six inspirational traditions that influence learning and teaching in social innovation and social entrepreneurship: 1/ features and concepts of classic entrepreneurship teaching, 2/ critical pedagogy of the oppressed...... and critical experiential learning, 3/ reform pedagogy as critical societal and subjective learning formats, 4/ creativity, scenarios and future workshops, 5/ collaborative and action learning trends and 6/ social entrepreneurship innovation labs, incubators and hubs. Consequently, we conclude...

Experimental study of surface pattern effects on the propulsive performance and wake of a bio-inspired pitching panel

Science.gov (United States)

King, Justin; Kumar, Rajeev; Green, Melissa

2016-11-01

Force measurements and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) were used to characterize the propulsive performance and wake structure of rigid, bio-inspired trapezoidal pitching panels. In the literature, it has been demonstrated that quantities such as thrust coefficient and propulsive efficiency are affected by changes in the surface characteristics of a pitching panel or foil. More specifically, the variation of surface pattern produces significant changes in wake structure and dynamics, especially in the distribution of vorticity in the wake. Force measurements and PIV data were collected for multiple surface patterns chosen to mimic fish surface morphology over a Strouhal number range of 0.17 to 0.56. Performance quantities are compared with the three-dimensional vortex wake structure for both the patterned and smooth panels to determine the nature and magnitude of surface pattern effects in terms of thrust produced, drag reduced, and wake vortices reshaped and reorganized. This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research under ONR Award No. N00014-14-1-0418.

Lightweight mechanical amplifiers for rolled dielectric elastomer actuators and their integration with bio-inspired wing flappers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lau, Gih-Keong; Lim, Hoong-Ta; Teo, Jing-Ying; Chin, Yao-Wei

2014-01-01

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are attractive for use in bio-inspired flapping-wing robots because they have high work density (specific energy) and can produce a large actuation strain. Although the active membrane of a dielectric elastomer is lightweight, the support structure that pre-tensions the elastomeric membrane is massive and it lowers the overall work density. If the DEA is to be used successfully to drive flapping-wing robots, its support structure must be as lightweight as possible. In this work, we designed, analysed, and developed a lightweight shell using a cross-ply laminate of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) to pre-strain a rolled DEA. The CFRP shell was shown to weigh 24.3% of the total mass for the whole DEA assembly, while providing up to 35.0% axial pre-strain to a rolled DEA (BJB-5005 silicone rubber). This DEA assembly using the CFRP shell achieved 30.9% of the theoretical work density for a BJB-TC5005 membrane at 33.5 MV m −1 . In comparison, spring rolls with a massive spring core were reported with overall work density merely 10–20% of the maximum value. Furthermore, this CFRP shell can amplify an axial DEA stroke into a larger transverse shell deformation. With these deformation characteristics, this CFRP shell and a rolled DEA were successfully integrated with an insect-inspired thoracic mechanism and they were shown to be feasible to drive it for a flapping wing. (paper)

Fabrication, testing and modeling of a new flexible armor inspired from natural fish scales and osteoderms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chintapalli, Ravi Kiran; Mirkhalaf, Mohammad; Dastjerdi, Ahmad Khayer; Barthelat, Francois

2014-01-01

Crocodiles, armadillo, turtles, fish and many other animal species have evolved flexible armored skins in the form of hard scales or osteoderms, which can be described as hard plates of finite size embedded in softer tissues. The individual hard segments provide protection from predators, while the relative motion of these segments provides the flexibility required for efficient locomotion. In this work, we duplicated these broad concepts in a bio-inspired segmented armor. Hexagonal segments of well-defined size and shape were carved within a thin glass plate using laser engraving. The engraved plate was then placed on a soft substrate which simulated soft tissues, and then punctured with a sharp needle mounted on a miniature loading stage. The resistance of our segmented armor was significantly higher when smaller hexagons were used, and our bio-inspired segmented glass displayed an increase in puncture resistance of up to 70% compared to a continuous plate of glass of the same thickness. Detailed structural analyses aided by finite elements revealed that this extraordinary improvement is due to the reduced span of individual segments, which decreases flexural stresses and delays fracture. This effect can however only be achieved if the plates are at least 1000 stiffer than the underlying substrate, which is the case for natural armor systems. Our bio-inspired system also displayed many of the attributes of natural armors: flexible, robust with ‘multi-hit’ capabilities. This new segmented glass therefore suggests interesting bio-inspired strategies and mechanisms which could be systematically exploited in high-performance flexible armors. This study also provides new insights and a better understanding of the mechanics of natural armors such as scales and osteoderms. (paper)

Navigating towards Responsible Research and Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Morten Velsing; Lindner, Ralf; Bryndum, Nina

2016-01-01

The uptake and development of responsible research and innovation (RRI) ranges from policy debates to initiatives in the governance of research, technology and innovation. In this context, “responsibility” is interpreted with a twofold goal: a precautionary goal of avoiding an adverse impact...... on research and innovation and a promotional goal of supporting the desired impact of research and innovation. Some of the many inspirations for RRI governance can be found in, for example, foresight, technology assessment, responsibility frameworks, codes of conduct, and CSR. A growing number of studies...... inspire RRI, and the challenges of making RRI a relevant concept from the perspectives of policy-making, industry and academia....

Vaccines, inspiring innovation in health.

Science.gov (United States)

Pagliusi, Sonia; Dennehy, Maureen; Kim, Hun

2018-05-19

This report covers the topics of pandemics, epidemics and partnerships, including regulatory convergence initiatives, new technologies and novel vaccines, discussed by leading public and private sector stakeholders at the 18th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers' Network (DCVMN). Contributions of Gavi and the vaccine industry from emerging countries to the growing global vaccine market, by improving the supply base from manufacturers in developing countries and contributing to 58% of doses, were highlighted. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and others reported on new strategies to ensure speedy progress in preclinical and clinical development of innovative vaccines for future MERS, Zika or other outbreak response. Priorities for vaccine stockpiling, to assure readiness during emergencies and to prevent outbreaks due to re-emerging diseases such as yellow fever, cholera and poliomyelitis, were outlined. The role of partnerships in improving global vaccine access, procurement and immunization coverage, and shared concerns were reviewed. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other international collaborating partners provided updates on the Product, Price and Procurement database, the prequalification of vaccines, the control of neglected tropical diseases, particularly the new rabies elimination initiative, and regulatory convergence proposals to accelerate vaccine registration in developing countries. Updates on supply chain innovations and novel vaccine platforms were presented. The discussions enabled members and partners to reflect on efficiency of research & development, supply chain tools and trends in packaging technologies improving delivery of existing vaccines, and allowing a deeper understanding of the current public-health objectives, industry financing, and global policies, required to ensure optimal investments, alignment and stability of

Patrick Couvreur: inspiring pharmaceutical innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanwix, Hannah

2014-05-01

Patrick Couvreur speaks to Hannah Stanwix, Managing Comissioning Editor: Professor Patrick Couvreur received his pharmacy degree from the Université Catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) in 1972. He holds a PhD in pharmaceutical technology from the same university and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (Zürich, Switzerland). Since 1984, Professor Couvreur has been Full Professor of Pharmacy at the Paris-Sud University (Paris, France) and was holder of the Chair of Innovation Technologique at the prestigious Collège de France (Paris, France). He has published more than 450 peer-reviewed articles and has an H-index of 73, with over 19,000 citations. Professor Coureur has been recognized by numerous national and international awards, including the 2004 Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress Award, the prestigious Host Madsen Medal, the Prix Galien, the European Pharmaceutical Scientist Award 2011 from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Médaille de l'Innovation from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and recently the European Inventor Award 2013 from the European Patent Office.

ICT Innovation in Contemporary India

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rai, Sudhanshu; Chatterjee, Sutirtha; Sarker, Suprateek

2010-01-01

The paper we present here discusses ICT innovation in India using a narrative framework. We argue that ICT innovation has not really been a subject matter sufficiently researched in information systems from the perspective of innovation in developing countries. We use a grounded theory inspired...

ICT Innovation in Contemporary India

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rai, Sudhanshu; Chatterjee, Sutirtha; Sarker, Suprateek

2011-01-01

This paper discusses ICT innovation in India using a narrative framework. We argue that ICT innovation has not been a subject sufficiently researched in information systems from the perspective of innovation in developing countries. We use a grounded theory inspired approach. There are three...

Nature-inspired computing and optimization theory and applications

CERN Document Server

Yang, Xin-She; Nakamatsu, Kazumi

2017-01-01

The book provides readers with a snapshot of the state of the art in the field of nature-inspired computing and its application in optimization. The approach is mainly practice-oriented: each bio-inspired technique or algorithm is introduced together with one of its possible applications. Applications cover a wide range of real-world optimization problems: from feature selection and image enhancement to scheduling and dynamic resource management, from wireless sensor networks and wiring network diagnosis to sports training planning and gene expression, from topology control and morphological filters to nutritional meal design and antenna array design. There are a few theoretical chapters comparing different existing techniques, exploring the advantages of nature-inspired computing over other methods, and investigating the mixing time of genetic algorithms. The book also introduces a wide range of algorithms, including the ant colony optimization, the bat algorithm, genetic algorithms, the collision-based opti...

AER synthetic generation in hardware for bio-inspired spiking systems

Science.gov (United States)

Linares-Barranco, Alejandro; Linares-Barranco, Bernabe; Jimenez-Moreno, Gabriel; Civit-Balcells, Anton

2005-06-01

Address Event Representation (AER) is an emergent neuromorphic interchip communication protocol that allows for real-time virtual massive connectivity between huge number neurons located on different chips. By exploiting high speed digital communication circuits (with nano-seconds timings), synaptic neural connections can be time multiplexed, while neural activity signals (with mili-seconds timings) are sampled at low frequencies. Also, neurons generate 'events' according to their activity levels. More active neurons generate more events per unit time, and access the interchip communication channel more frequently, while neurons with low activity consume less communication bandwidth. When building multi-chip muti-layered AER systems it is absolutely necessary to have a computer interface that allows (a) to read AER interchip traffic into the computer and visualize it on screen, and (b) convert conventional frame-based video stream in the computer into AER and inject it at some point of the AER structure. This is necessary for test and debugging of complex AER systems. This paper addresses the problem of converting, in a computer, a conventional frame-based video stream into the spike event based representation AER. There exist several proposed software methods for synthetic generation of AER for bio-inspired systems. This paper presents a hardware implementation for one method, which is based on Linear-Feedback-Shift-Register (LFSR) pseudo-random number generation. The sequence of events generated by this hardware, which follows a Poisson distribution like a biological neuron, has been reconstructed using two AER integrator cells. The error of reconstruction for a set of images that produces different traffic loads of event in the AER bus is used as evaluation criteria. A VHDL description of the method, that includes the Xilinx PCI Core, has been implemented and tested using a general purpose PCI-AER board. This PCI-AER board has been developed by authors, and uses

[Current status of bio-based materials industry in China].

Science.gov (United States)

Diao, Xiaoqian; Weng, Yunxuan; Huang, Zhigang; Yang, Nan; Wang, Xiyuan; Zhang, Min; Jin, Yujuan

2016-06-25

In recent years, bio-based materials are becoming a new dominant industry leading the scientific and technological innovation, and economic development of the world. We reviewed the new development of bio-based materials industry in China, analyzed the entire market of bio-based materials products comprehensively, and also stated the industry status of bio-based chemicals, such as lactic acid, 1,3-propanediol, and succinic acid; biodegradable bio-based polymers, such as co-polyester of diacid and diol, polylactic acid, carbon dioxide based copolymer, polyhydroxyalknoates, polycaprolactone, and thermoplastic bio-based plastics; non-biodegradable bio-based polymers, such as bio-based polyamide, polytrimethylene terephthalate, bio-based polyurethane, and bio-based fibers.

An IPMC-enabled bio-inspired bending/twisting fin for underwater applications

Science.gov (United States)

Palmre, Viljar; Hubbard, Joel J.; Fleming, Maxwell; Pugal, David; Kim, Sungjun; Kim, Kwang J.; Leang, Kam K.

2013-01-01

This paper discusses the design, fabrication, and characterization of an ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuator-based bio-inspired active fin capable of bending and twisting motion. It is pointed out that IPMC strip actuators are used in the simple cantilever configuration to create simple bending (flapping-like) motion for propulsion in underwater autonomous systems. However, the resulting motion is a simple 1D bending and performance is rather limited. To enable more complex deformation, such as the flapping (pitch and heaving) motion of real pectoral and caudal fish fins, a new approach which involves molding or integrating IPMC actuators into a soft boot material to create an active control surface (called a ‘fin’) is presented. The fin can be used to realize complex deformation depending on the orientation and placement of the actuators. In contrast to previously created IPMCs with patterned electrodes for the same purpose, the proposed design avoids (1) the more expensive process of electroless plating platinum all throughout the surface of the actuator and (2) the need for specially patterning the electrodes. Therefore, standard shaped IPMC actuators such as those with rectangular dimensions with varying thicknesses can be used. One unique advantage of the proposed structural design is that custom shaped fins and control surfaces can be easily created without special materials processing. The molding process is cost effective and does not require functionalizing or ‘activating’ the boot material similar to creating IPMCs. For a prototype fin (90 mm wide × 60 mm long × 1.5 mm thick), the measured maximum tip displacement was approximately 44 mm and the twist angle of the fin exceeded 10°. Lift and drag measurements in water where the prototype fin with an airfoil profile was dragged through water at a velocity of 21 cm s-1 showed that the lift and drag forces can be affected by controlling the IPMCs embedded into the fin structure. These

Effect of pre-tension on the peeling behavior of a bio-inspired nano-film and a hierarchical adhesive structure

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Zhilong; Chen, Shaohua

2012-10-01

Inspired by the reversible adhesion behaviors of geckos, the effects of pre-tension in a bio-inspired nano-film and a hierarchical structure on adhesion are studied theoretically. In the case with a uniformly distributing pre-tension in a spatula-like nano-film under peeling, a closed-form solution to a critical peeling angle is derived, below or above which the peel-off force is enhanced or reduced, respectively, compared with the case without pre-tension. The effects of a non-uniformly distributing pre-tension on adhesion are further investigated for both a spatula-like nano-film and a hierarchical structure-like gecko's seta. Compared with the case without pre-tension, the pre-tension, no matter uniform or non-uniform, can increase the adhesion force not only for the spatula-like nano-film but also for the hierarchical structure at a small peeling angle, while decrease it at a relatively large peeling angle. Furthermore, if the pre-tension is large enough, the effective adhesion energy of a hierarchical structure tends to vanish at a critical peeling angle, which results in spontaneous detachment of the hierarchical structure from the substrate. The present theoretical predictions can not only give some explanations on the existing experimental observation that gecko's seta always detaches at a specific angle and no apparent adhesion force can be detected above the critical angle but also provide a deep understanding for the reversible adhesion mechanism of geckos and be helpful to the design of biomimetic reversible adhesives.

Light and colour as analytical detection tools: a journey into the periodic table using polyamines to bio-inspired systems as chemosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lodeiro, Carlos; Capelo, José Luis; Mejuto, Juan Carlos; Oliveira, Elisabete; Santos, Hugo M; Pedras, Bruno; Nuñez, Cristina

2010-08-01

This critical review describes some developments on the chemistry of fluorescent and colorimetric molecular probes or chemosensors, based on polyamines and associated compounds having oxygen and/or sulfur as donor atoms. The reported systems are essentially based on some selected published work in this field in the last five years, and in the work developed by the authors from 2000 onwards. Some interesting properties beyond sensing molecules, ions or/and cations by fluorescence, colorimetry as well as by MALDI-TOF MS spectrometry can arise from these systems. A short brief on different examples activated by PET (photoinduced electron transfer), ICT (internal charge transfer) and EET (electronic energy transfer) phenomena will be provided. Finally the introduction of bio-inspired compounds derived from emissive amino acid or short peptide systems and nanoparticle devices to detect metal ions will be reviewed (202 references).

Bio-inspired Plasmonic Nanoarchitectured Hybrid System Towards Enhanced Far Red-to-Near Infrared Solar Photocatalysis

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Runyu; Chen, Min; Zhou, Han; Liu, Tian; Tang, Xingwei; Zhang, Ke; Zhu, Hanxing; Ye, Jinhua; Zhang, Di; Fan, Tongxiang

2016-01-01

Solar conversion to fuels or to electricity in semiconductors using far red-to-near infrared (NIR) light, which accounts for about 40% of solar energy, is highly significant. One main challenge is the development of novel strategies for activity promotion and new basic mechanisms for NIR response. Mother Nature has evolved to smartly capture far red-to-NIR light via their intelligent systems due to unique micro/nanoarchitectures, thus motivating us for biomimetic design. Here we report the first demonstration of a new strategy, based on adopting nature’s far red-to-NIR responsive architectures for an efficient bio-inspired photocatalytic system. The system is constructed by controlled assembly of light-harvesting plasmonic nanoantennas onto a typical photocatalytic unit with butterfly wings’ 3D micro/nanoarchitectures. Experiments and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations demonstrate the structural effects on obvious far red-to-NIR photocatalysis enhancement, which originates from (1) Enhancing far red-to-NIR (700~1200 nm) harvesting, up to 25%. (2) Enhancing electric-field amplitude of localized surface plasmon (LSPs) to more than 3.5 times than that of the non-structured one, which promotes the rate of electron-hole pair formation, thus substantially reinforcing photocatalysis. This proof-of-concept study provides a new methodology for NIR photocatalysis and would potentially guide future conceptually new NIR responsive system designs.

Enhancing thermal reliability of fiber-optic sensors for bio-inspired applications at ultra-high temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Donghoon; Kim, Heon-Young; Kim, Dae-Hyun

2014-07-01

The rapid growth of bio-(inspired) sensors has led to an improvement in modern healthcare and human-robot systems in recent years. Higher levels of reliability and better flexibility, essential features of these sensors, are very much required in many application fields (e.g. applications at ultra-high temperatures). Fiber-optic sensors, and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors in particular, are being widely studied as suitable sensors for improved structural health monitoring (SHM) due to their many merits. To enhance the thermal reliability of FBG sensors, thermal sensitivity, generally expressed as αf + ξf and considered a constant, should be investigated more precisely. For this purpose, the governing equation of FBG sensors is modified using differential derivatives between the wavelength shift and the temperature change in this study. Through a thermal test ranging from RT to 900 °C, the thermal sensitivity of FBG sensors is successfully examined and this guarantees thermal reliability of FBG sensors at ultra-high temperatures. In detail, αf + ξf has a non-linear dependence on temperature and varies from 6.0 × 10-6 °C-1 (20 °C) to 10.6 × 10-6 °C-1 (650 °C). Also, FBGs should be carefully used for applications at ultra-high temperatures due to signal disappearance near 900 °C.

Bio-inspired Plasmonic Nanoarchitectured Hybrid System Towards Enhanced Far Red-to-Near Infrared Solar Photocatalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Runyu; Chen, Min; Zhou, Han; Liu, Tian; Tang, Xingwei; Zhang, Ke; Zhu, Hanxing; Ye, Jinhua; Zhang, Di; Fan, Tongxiang

2016-01-28

Solar conversion to fuels or to electricity in semiconductors using far red-to-near infrared (NIR) light, which accounts for about 40% of solar energy, is highly significant. One main challenge is the development of novel strategies for activity promotion and new basic mechanisms for NIR response. Mother Nature has evolved to smartly capture far red-to-NIR light via their intelligent systems due to unique micro/nanoarchitectures, thus motivating us for biomimetic design. Here we report the first demonstration of a new strategy, based on adopting nature's far red-to-NIR responsive architectures for an efficient bio-inspired photocatalytic system. The system is constructed by controlled assembly of light-harvesting plasmonic nanoantennas onto a typical photocatalytic unit with butterfly wings' 3D micro/nanoarchitectures. Experiments and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations demonstrate the structural effects on obvious far red-to-NIR photocatalysis enhancement, which originates from (1) Enhancing far red-to-NIR (700~1200 nm) harvesting, up to 25%. (2) Enhancing electric-field amplitude of localized surface plasmon (LSPs) to more than 3.5 times than that of the non-structured one, which promotes the rate of electron-hole pair formation, thus substantially reinforcing photocatalysis. This proof-of-concept study provides a new methodology for NIR photocatalysis and would potentially guide future conceptually new NIR responsive system designs.

Characterization of anthocyanin based dye-sensitized organic solar cells (DSSC) and modifications based on bio-inspired ion mobility improvements

Science.gov (United States)

Mawyin, Jose Amador

The worldwide electrical energy consumption will increase from currently 10 terawatts to 30 terawatts by 2050. To decrease the current atmospheric CO2 would require our civilization to develop a 20 terawatts non-greenhouse emitting (renewable) electrical power generation capability. Solar photovoltaic electric power generation is thought to be a major component of proposed renewable energy-based economy. One approach to less costly, easily manufactured solar cells is the Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) introduced by Greatzel and others. This dissertation describes the work focused on improving the performance of DSSC type solar cells. In particular parameters affecting dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) based on anthocyanin pigments extracted from California blackberries (Rubus ursinus) and bio-inspired modifications were analyzed and solar cell designs optimized. Using off-the-shelf materials DSSC were constructed and tested using a custom made solar spectrum simulator and photoelectric property characterization. This equipment facilitated the taking of automated I-V curve plots and the experimental determination of parameters such as open circuit voltage (V OC), short circuit current (JSC), fill factor (FF), etc. This equipment was used to probe the effect of various modifications such as changes in the annealing time and composition of the of the electrode counter-electrode. Solar cell optimization schemes included novel schemes such as solar spectrum manipulation to increase the percentage of the solar spectrum capable of generating power in the DSSC. Solar manipulation included light scattering and photon upconversion. Techniques examined here focused on affordable materials such as silica nanoparticles embedded inside a TiO2 matrix. Such materials were examined for controlled scattering of visible light and optimize light trapping within the matrix as well as a means to achieve photon up-energy-conversion using the Raman effect in silica nano-particles (due

Righting and turning in mid-air using appendage inertia: reptile tails, analytical models and bio-inspired robots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jusufi, A; Full, R J; Kawano, D T; Libby, T

2010-01-01

Unlike the falling cat, lizards can right themselves in mid-air by a swing of their large tails in one direction causing the body to rotate in the other. Here, we developed a new three-dimensional analytical model to investigate the effectiveness of tails as inertial appendages that change body orientation. We anchored our model using the morphological parameters of the flat-tailed house gecko Hemidactylus platyurus. The degree of roll in air righting and the amount of yaw in mid-air turning directly measured in house geckos matched the model's results. Our model predicted an increase in body roll and turning as tails increase in length relative to the body. Tails that swung from a near orthogonal plane relative to the body (i.e. 0-30 0 from vertical) were the most effective at generating body roll, whereas tails operating at steeper angles (i.e. 45-60 0 ) produced only half the rotation. To further test our analytical model's predictions, we built a bio-inspired robot prototype. The robot reinforced how effective attitude control can be attained with simple movements of an inertial appendage.

Righting and turning in mid-air using appendage inertia: reptile tails, analytical models and bio-inspired robots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jusufi, A; Full, R J [Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140 (United States); Kawano, D T [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1740 (United States); Libby, T, E-mail: ardianj@berkeley.ed [Center for Interdisciplinary Bio-inspiration in Education and Research, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140 (United States)

2010-12-15

Unlike the falling cat, lizards can right themselves in mid-air by a swing of their large tails in one direction causing the body to rotate in the other. Here, we developed a new three-dimensional analytical model to investigate the effectiveness of tails as inertial appendages that change body orientation. We anchored our model using the morphological parameters of the flat-tailed house gecko Hemidactylus platyurus. The degree of roll in air righting and the amount of yaw in mid-air turning directly measured in house geckos matched the model's results. Our model predicted an increase in body roll and turning as tails increase in length relative to the body. Tails that swung from a near orthogonal plane relative to the body (i.e. 0-30{sup 0} from vertical) were the most effective at generating body roll, whereas tails operating at steeper angles (i.e. 45-60{sup 0}) produced only half the rotation. To further test our analytical model's predictions, we built a bio-inspired robot prototype. The robot reinforced how effective attitude control can be attained with simple movements of an inertial appendage.

HyperCell: A Bio-inspired Design Framework for Real-time Interactive Architectures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia-Rey Chang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This pioneering research focuses on Biomimetic Interactive Architecture using “Computation”, “Embodiment”, and “Biology” to generate an intimate embodied convergence to propose a novel rule-based design framework for creating organic architectures composed of swarm-based intelligent components. Furthermore, the research boldly claims that Interactive Architecture should emerge as the next truly Organic Architecture. As the world and society are dynamically changing, especially in this digital era, the research dares to challenge the Utilitas, Firmitas, and Venustas of the traditional architectural Weltanschauung, and rejects them by adopting the novel notion that architecture should be dynamic, fluid, and interactive. This project reflects a trajectory from the 1960’s with the advent of the avant-garde architectural design group, Archigram, and its numerous intriguing and pioneering visionary projects. Archigram’s non-standard, mobile, and interactive projects profoundly influenced a new generation of architects to explore the connection between technology and their architectural projects. This research continues this trend of exploring novel design thinking and the framework of Interactive Architecture by discovering the interrelationship amongst three major topics: “Computation”, “Embodiment”, and “Biology”. The project aims to elucidate pioneering research combining these three topics in one discourse: “Bio-inspired digital architectural design”. These three major topics will be introduced in this Summary.   “Computation”, is any type of calculation that includes both arithmetical and nonarithmetical steps and follows a well-defined model understood and described as, for example, an algorithm. But, in this research, refers to the use of data storage, parametric design application, and physical computing for developing informed architectural designs. “Form” has always been the most critical focus in

Innovation Inspired by Nature: Capabilities, Potentials and Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2012-01-01

Through evolution, nature came up with many effective solutions to its challenges and continually improving them. By mimicking, coping and being inspired, humans have been using Nature's solutions to address their own challenges. In recent years, the implementation of nature's capabilities has intensified with our growing understanding of the various biological and nastic mechanisms and processes. Successes include even the making of humanlike robots that perform such lifelike tasks as walking, talking, making eye-contact, interpreting speech and facial expressions, as well as many other humanlike functions. Generally, once humans are able to implement a function then, thru rapid advances in technology, capabilities are developed that can significantly exceed the original source of inspiration in Nature. Examples include flight where there is no species that can fly as high, carry so much mass, has so large dimensions and fly so fast, and operate at as such extreme conditions as our aircraft and other aerospace systems. However, using the capabilities of today's technology, there are many challenges that are not feasible to address in mimicking characteristics of species and plants. In this manuscript, state-of-the-art of biomimetic capabilities, potentials and challenges are reviewed.

Electronic and optoelectronic materials and devices inspired by nature

Science.gov (United States)

Meredith, P.; Bettinger, C. J.; Irimia-Vladu, M.; Mostert, A. B.; Schwenn, P. E.

2013-03-01

Inorganic semiconductors permeate virtually every sphere of modern human existence. Micro-fabricated memory elements, processors, sensors, circuit elements, lasers, displays, detectors, etc are ubiquitous. However, the dawn of the 21st century has brought with it immense new challenges, and indeed opportunities—some of which require a paradigm shift in the way we think about resource use and disposal, which in turn directly impacts our ongoing relationship with inorganic semiconductors such as silicon and gallium arsenide. Furthermore, advances in fields such as nano-medicine and bioelectronics, and the impending revolution of the ‘ubiquitous sensor network’, all require new functional materials which are bio-compatible, cheap, have minimal embedded manufacturing energy plus extremely low power consumption, and are mechanically robust and flexible for integration with tissues, building structures, fabrics and all manner of hosts. In this short review article we summarize current progress in creating materials with such properties. We focus primarily on organic and bio-organic electronic and optoelectronic systems derived from or inspired by nature, and outline the complex charge transport and photo-physics which control their behaviour. We also introduce the concept of electrical devices based upon ion or proton flow (‘ionics and protonics’) and focus particularly on their role as a signal interface with biological systems. Finally, we highlight recent advances in creating working devices, some of which have bio-inspired architectures, and summarize the current issues, challenges and potential solutions. This is a rich new playground for the modern materials physicist.

Brain-inspired algorithms for retinal image analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ter Haar Romeny, B.M.; Bekkers, E.J.; Zhang, J.; Abbasi-Sureshjani, S.; Huang, F.; Duits, R.; Dasht Bozorg, Behdad; Berendschot, T.T.J.M.; Smit-Ockeloen, I.; Eppenhof, K.A.J.; Feng, J.; Hannink, J.; Schouten, J.; Tong, M.; Wu, H.; van Triest, J.W.; Zhu, S.; Chen, D.; He, W.; Xu, L.; Han, P.; Kang, Y.

2016-01-01

Retinal image analysis is a challenging problem due to the precise quantification required and the huge numbers of images produced in screening programs. This paper describes a series of innovative brain-inspired algorithms for automated retinal image analysis, recently developed for the RetinaCheck

Multifunctional liquid bio fertilizer as an innovative agronomic input for modern agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phua Choo Kwai Hoe; Khairuddin Abdul Rahim

2010-01-01

Liquid bio fertilizer is increasingly available in the market as one of the alternatives to chemical and organic fertilizers as well as solid substrate-based bio fertilizers. One of the benefits from bio fertilizer is the contribution from population of microorganisms available. These microorganisms may enhance the plant growth and create healthy rhizosphere. The advantage of a liquid bio fertilizer is that no solid carrier is needed. These products are also developed for potential application in modern agriculture such as soil less farming systems, viz. fertigation and hydroponics. Traditionally, liquid bio fertilizer is produced from fermentation of effective microorganisms which was recommended to be used within three months. Therefore, the development of low-cost and long shelf-life liquid bio fertilizers was conducted at Malaysian Nuclear Agency (Nuclear Malaysia). Three bio fertilizer inoculum (phosphate solubilising bacteria and plant growth promoting bacteria) were developed into four formulations of liquid bio fertilizers. The liquid bio fertilizers were kept at low temperatures (9 ± 2 degree Celsius) and room temperatures (28 ± 2 degree Celsius) for shelf-life study. Nutrient broth liquid bio fertilizer kept at low temperatures showed significantly high survival rates after storage for six months as compared to other formulations and treatments. (author)

High-performance mussel-inspired adhesives of reduced complexity.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, B Kollbe; Das, Saurabh; Linstadt, Roscoe; Kaufman, Yair; Martinez-Rodriguez, Nadine R; Mirshafian, Razieh; Kesselman, Ellina; Talmon, Yeshayahu; Lipshutz, Bruce H; Israelachvili, Jacob N; Waite, J Herbert

2015-10-19

Despite the recent progress in and demand for wet adhesives, practical underwater adhesion remains limited or non-existent for diverse applications. Translation of mussel-inspired wet adhesion typically entails catechol functionalization of polymers and/or polyelectrolytes, and solution processing of many complex components and steps that require optimization and stabilization. Here we reduced the complexity of a wet adhesive primer to synthetic low-molecular-weight catecholic zwitterionic surfactants that show very strong adhesion (∼50 mJ m(-2)) and retain the ability to coacervate. This catecholic zwitterion adheres to diverse surfaces and self-assembles into a molecularly smooth, thin (adhesive for nanofabrication. This study significantly simplifies bio-inspired themes for wet adhesion by combining catechol with hydrophobic and electrostatic functional groups in a small molecule.

Innovation in Rehabilitation Services and Clinical Programs for Health Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asghar Dadkhah

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Rehabilitation program is a critical piece of clinical care strategy in order to accelerate healing and improve quality of life to the fullest extent possible. An innovated program should have 3 inspiring concepts: Seek inspire and Advance. Seeking and evaluating is a breakthrough technology, innovative methodology and emerging trend in the healthcare industry. The program should inspire clinicians to critically evaluate and implement the highest standards of care. Also an innovated program should advance clinical program development to maximize opportunities for first to market positioning and community partnerships. The scope of program can be from psycho-rehabilitation to predictor in addiction (1-3, Cognitive and motor rehabilitation researchers are quite concerned about system wide biases that may impair development of innovative rehabilitation techniques. In this issue ....

Fluidic origami with embedded pressure dependent multi-stability: a plant inspired innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Suyi; Wang, K W

2015-10-06

Inspired by the impulsive movements in plants, this research investigates the physics of a novel fluidic origami concept for its pressure-dependent multi-stability. In this innovation, fluid-filled tubular cells are synthesized by integrating different Miura-Ori sheets into a three-dimensional topological system, where the internal pressures are strategically controlled similar to the motor cells in plants. Fluidic origami incorporates two crucial physiological features observed in nature: one is distributed, pressurized cellular organization, and the other is embedded multi-stability. For a single fluidic origami cell, two stable folding configurations can coexist due to the nonlinear relationships among folding, crease material deformation and internal volume change. When multiple origami cells are integrated, additional multi-stability characteristics could occur via the interactions between pressurized cells. Changes in the fluid pressure can tailor the existence and shapes of these stable folding configurations. As a result, fluidic origami can switch between being mono-stable, bistable and multi-stable with pressure control, and provide a rapid 'snap-through' type of shape change based on the similar principles as in plants. The outcomes of this research could lead to the development of new adaptive materials or structures, and provide insights for future plant physiology studies at the cellular level. © 2015 The Author(s).

Créer de nouveaux écosystèmes durables par des méthodes bio-inspirées : le cas des toits verts extensifs en région méditerranéenne

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DUTOIT, Thierry

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Outre l’aspect esthétique, de nombreuses études ont confirmé l’intérêt des toitures végétales dans une perspective de restauration ou de protection de la biodiversité et de l'environnement en milieu urbain. Leur mise en place exige toutefois quelques recommandations quant aux matériaux et techniques utilisés, qui doivent notamment s'inspirer des habitats naturels écologiquement proches. Les objectifs des travaux présentés ici sont d'élaborer et de tester de nouvelles techniques bio-inspirées pour la création de toits verts extensifs en climat méditerranéen sans reccours à l'irrigation permanente.

Social insects inspire human design

Science.gov (United States)

Holbrook, C. Tate; Clark, Rebecca M.; Moore, Dani; Overson, Rick P.; Penick, Clint A.; Smith, Adrian A.

2010-01-01

The international conference ‘Social Biomimicry: Insect Societies and Human Design’, hosted by Arizona State University, USA, 18–20 February 2010, explored how the collective behaviour and nest architecture of social insects can inspire innovative and effective solutions to human design challenges. It brought together biologists, designers, engineers, computer scientists, architects and businesspeople, with the dual aims of enriching biology and advancing biomimetic design. PMID:20392721

Recent developments in bio-inspired sensors fabricated by additive manufacturing technologies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.; Sanders, Remco G.P.

2017-01-01

In our work on micro-fabricated hair-sensors, inspired by the flow-sensitive sensors found on crickets, we have made great progress. Initially delivering mediocre performance compared to their natural counter parts they have evolved into capable sensors with thresholds roughly a factor of 30 larger

Surfacing Authentic Leadership: Inspiration from "After Life"

Science.gov (United States)

Billsberry, Jon; North-Samardzic, Andrea

2016-01-01

This paper advocates an innovative approach to help leadership students analyze, capture, and remember the nature of their authentic leadership. This developmental activity was inspired by the Japanese film, "Wandâfuru raifu" ("After Life") (Kore-Eda, Sato, & Shigenobu, 1998), in which the recently deceased are asked to…

Bio-objects’ political capacity: a research agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Maeseele, Pieter; Hendrickx, Kim; Pavone, Vincenzo; Van Hoyweghen, Ine

2013-01-01

This article explores the merits of foregrounding the dichotomy of politicization vs de-politicization for our understanding of bio-objects in order to study their production, circulation, and governance in European societies. By asking how bio-objects are configured in science, policy, public, and media discourses and practices, we focus on the role of socio-technical configurations in generating political relations. The bio-object thereby serves as an entry point to approach and conceptualize “the political” in an innovative way. PMID:23630150

Design and Dynamics Analysis of a Bio-Inspired Intermittent Hopping Robot for Planetary Surface Exploration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Long Bai

2012-10-01

Full Text Available A small, bio-inspired and minimally actuated intermittent hopping robot for planetary surface exploration is proposed in this paper. The robot uses a combined-geared six-bar linkage/spring mechanism, which has a possible rich trajectory and metamorphic characteristics and, due to this, the robot is able to recharge, lock/release and jump by using just a micro-power motor as the actuator. Since the robotic system has a closed-chain structure and employs underactuated redundant motion, the constrained multi-body dynamics are derived with time-varying driving parameters and ground unilateral constraint both taken into consideration. In addition, the established dynamics equations, mixed of higher order differential and algebraic expressions, are solved by the immediate integration algorithm. A prototype is implemented and experiments are carried out. The results show that the robot, using a micro-power motor as the actuator and solar cells as the power supply, can achieve a biomimetic multi-body hopping stance and a nonlinearly increasing driving force. Typically, the robot can jump a horizontal distance of about 1 m and a vertical height of about 0.3 m, with its trunk and foot moving stably during takeoff. In addition, the computational and experimental results are consistent as regards the hopping performance of the robot, which suggests that the proposed dynamics model and its solution have general applicability to motion prediction and the performance analysis of intermittent hopping robots.

Enhancing thermal reliability of fiber-optic sensors for bio-inspired applications at ultra-high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Donghoon; Kim, Heon-Young; Kim, Dae-Hyun

2014-01-01

The rapid growth of bio-(inspired) sensors has led to an improvement in modern healthcare and human–robot systems in recent years. Higher levels of reliability and better flexibility, essential features of these sensors, are very much required in many application fields (e.g. applications at ultra-high temperatures). Fiber-optic sensors, and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors in particular, are being widely studied as suitable sensors for improved structural health monitoring (SHM) due to their many merits. To enhance the thermal reliability of FBG sensors, thermal sensitivity, generally expressed as α f + ξ f and considered a constant, should be investigated more precisely. For this purpose, the governing equation of FBG sensors is modified using differential derivatives between the wavelength shift and the temperature change in this study. Through a thermal test ranging from RT to 900 °C, the thermal sensitivity of FBG sensors is successfully examined and this guarantees thermal reliability of FBG sensors at ultra-high temperatures. In detail, α f + ξ f has a non-linear dependence on temperature and varies from 6.0 × 10 −6  °C −1 (20 °C) to 10.6 × 10 −6  °C −1 (650 °C). Also, FBGs should be carefully used for applications at ultra-high temperatures due to signal disappearance near 900 °C. (paper)

Fabricating bio-inspired micro/nano-particles by polydopamine coating and surface interactions with blood platelets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ye, Wei [Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Interventional Medical Devices, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian 223003 (China); State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); Shi, Qiang, E-mail: shiqiang@ciac.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); Hou, Jianwen; Gao, Jian; Li, Chunming; Jin, Jing; Shi, Hengchong [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); Yin, Jinghua, E-mail: yinjh@ciac.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China)

2015-10-01

Graphical abstract: The particles or particle aggregations activate the blood platelets and provide the physical adhesive sites for platelets adhesion. - Highlights: • Particles with varied sizes and surface properties were fabricated by facile polydopamine (PDA) coating on polystyrene microsphere. • The direct interaction between PDA particles and blood platelets was qualitatively investigated. • The knowledge on platelet–particle interactions provided the basic principle to select biocompatible micro/nano-particles in biomedical field. - Abstract: Although bio-inspired polydopamine (PDA) micro/nano-particles show great promise for biomedical applications, the knowledge on the interactions between micro/nano-particles and platelets is still lacking. Here, we fabricate PDA-coated micro/nano-particles and investigate the platelet–particle surface interactions. Our strategy takes the advantage of facile PDA coating on polystyrene (PS) microsphere to fabricate particles with varied sizes and surface properties, and the chemical reactivity of PDA layers to immobilize fibrinogen and bovine serum albumin to manipulate platelet activation and adhesion. We demonstrate that PS particles activate the platelets in the size-dependent manner, but PDA nanoparticles have slight effect on platelet activation; PS particles promote platelet adhesion while PDA particles reduce platelet adhesion on the patterned surface; Particles interact with platelets through activating the glycoprotein integrin receptor of platelets and providing physical sites for initial platelet adhesion. Our work sheds new light on the interaction between platelets and particles, which provides the basic principle to select biocompatible micro/nano-particles in biomedical field.

Demonstrations of bio-inspired perching landing gear for UAVs

Science.gov (United States)

Tieu, Mindy; Michael, Duncan M.; Pflueger, Jeffery B.; Sethi, Manik S.; Shimazu, Kelli N.; Anthony, Tatiana M.; Lee, Christopher L.

2016-04-01

Results are presented which demonstrate the feasibility and performance of two concepts of biologically-inspired landing-gear systems that enable bird-sized, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's) to land, perch, and take-off from branchlike structures and/or ledges. The first concept follows the anatomy of birds that can grasp ahold of a branch and perch as tendons in their legs are tensioned. This design involves a gravity-activated, cable-driven, underactuated, graspingfoot mechanism. As the UAV lands, its weight collapses a four-bar linkage pulling a cable which curls two opposing, multi-segmented feet to grasp the landing target. Each foot is a single, compliant mechanism fabricated by simultaneouly 3D-printing a flexible thermo-plastic and a stiffer ABS plastic. The design is optimized to grasp structures over a range of shapes and sizes. Quasi-static and flight tests of this landing gear affixed to RC rotorcraft (24 cm to 550 cm in diameter) demonstrate that the aircraft can land, perch, and take-off from a tree branch, rectangular wood board, PVC pipe, metal hand rail, chair armrest, and in addition, a stone wall ledge. Stability tests show that perching is maintained under base and wind disturbances. The second design concept, inspired by roosting bats, is a two-material, 3D-printed hooking mechanism that enables the UAV to stably suspend itself from a wire or small-diameter branch. The design balances structural stiffness for support and flexibility for the perching process. A flight-test demonstrates the attaching and dis-engaging of a small, RC quadcopter from a suspended line.

Bureaucracy and Innovation Revisited

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartmann, Mia Koss; Koss Hartmann, Rasmus

, but by problematizing the relationship directly. Inspired by prior ethnographic studies of coercive bureaucracies and theories of secrecy and hiding behavior, we propose that coercive bureaucracies do not necessarily impede innovation, but rather create the appearance of doing so. Coercive bureaucracies create......, supplemented by innovation histories, surveys and expert evaluations. This argument implies that future research examines more deeply the organizational processes and practices by which innovation might occur even in coercive bureaucracies. Further, it encourages innovation research methods that rely less...

Bio-Inspired Extreme Wetting Surfaces for Biomedical Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Sera; Seo, Jungmok; Han, Heetak; Kang, Subin; Kim, Hyunchul; Lee, Taeyoon

2016-01-01

Biological creatures with unique surface wettability have long served as a source of inspiration for scientists and engineers. More specifically, materials exhibiting extreme wetting properties, such as superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces, have attracted considerable attention because of their potential use in various applications, such as self-cleaning fabrics, anti-fog windows, anti-corrosive coatings, drag-reduction systems, and efficient water transportation. In particular, the engineering of surface wettability by manipulating chemical properties and structure opens emerging biomedical applications ranging from high-throughput cell culture platforms to biomedical devices. This review describes design and fabrication methods for artificial extreme wetting surfaces. Next, we introduce some of the newer and emerging biomedical applications using extreme wetting surfaces. Current challenges and future prospects of the surfaces for potential biomedical applications are also addressed. PMID:28787916

Game-like Technology Innovation Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magnussen, Rikke

2011-01-01

scenario designed for technology education in grades 7 - 9 in Danish schools. In the paper, methodological challenges of doing design-based research into technology innovation education are discussed. The preliminary results from the first studies of a game-inspired technology innovation camp are also...

An IPMC-enabled bio-inspired bending/twisting fin for underwater applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmre, Viljar; Pugal, David; Kim, Sungjun; Kim, Kwang J; Hubbard, Joel J; Fleming, Maxwell; Leang, Kam K

2013-01-01

This paper discusses the design, fabrication, and characterization of an ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC) actuator-based bio-inspired active fin capable of bending and twisting motion. It is pointed out that IPMC strip actuators are used in the simple cantilever configuration to create simple bending (flapping-like) motion for propulsion in underwater autonomous systems. However, the resulting motion is a simple 1D bending and performance is rather limited. To enable more complex deformation, such as the flapping (pitch and heaving) motion of real pectoral and caudal fish fins, a new approach which involves molding or integrating IPMC actuators into a soft boot material to create an active control surface (called a ‘fin’) is presented. The fin can be used to realize complex deformation depending on the orientation and placement of the actuators. In contrast to previously created IPMCs with patterned electrodes for the same purpose, the proposed design avoids (1) the more expensive process of electroless plating platinum all throughout the surface of the actuator and (2) the need for specially patterning the electrodes. Therefore, standard shaped IPMC actuators such as those with rectangular dimensions with varying thicknesses can be used. One unique advantage of the proposed structural design is that custom shaped fins and control surfaces can be easily created without special materials processing. The molding process is cost effective and does not require functionalizing or ‘activating’ the boot material similar to creating IPMCs. For a prototype fin (90 mm wide × 60 mm long × 1.5 mm thick), the measured maximum tip displacement was approximately 44 mm and the twist angle of the fin exceeded 10°. Lift and drag measurements in water where the prototype fin with an airfoil profile was dragged through water at a velocity of 21 cm s −1 showed that the lift and drag forces can be affected by controlling the IPMCs embedded into the fin structure

Bio-mechanical assessment toward throwing and lifting process of i-LOCA (Innovative Lobster Catcher)

Science.gov (United States)

Sudiarno, A.; Dewi, D. S.; Putri, M. A.

2018-04-01

Indonesia is the country rich in marine resource, one of which is lobster. East java, one of Indonesian province, especially in Region of Gresik and Lamogan, has very huge potential of lobster. Current condition shown that lobster catch by the fisherman mostly depend on lucky factor, which the lobster unintentionally trapped in fisherman’s fish net. By using this mechanism, the number of lobster catch cannot be optimum. Previous researches have produced two versions of i-LOCA, Innovative Lobster Catcher, a special tool for catching the lobster. Although produce more lobster catch, second version of i-LOCA still needs to be scrutinized, one of that is bio-mechanical assessment. The second version of i-LOCA still has no tool to ease throwing and lifting it into the sea. This condition cause Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) toward the fisherman. This research perform bio-mechanical assessment toward throwing and lifting process in order to suggest improvement for i-LOCA as the third version. Based on body moment calculation, we found that throwing and lifting process of third version of i-LOCA, each was 3 times and 2 times better than second version of i-LOCA. Meanwhile, Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) score of throwing and lifting process for third version of i-LOCA can be reduced by 5 points compared to second version of i-LOCA.

Electronic and optoelectronic materials and devices inspired by nature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meredith, P; Schwenn, P E; Bettinger, C J; Irimia-Vladu, M; Mostert, A B

2013-01-01

Inorganic semiconductors permeate virtually every sphere of modern human existence. Micro-fabricated memory elements, processors, sensors, circuit elements, lasers, displays, detectors, etc are ubiquitous. However, the dawn of the 21st century has brought with it immense new challenges, and indeed opportunities—some of which require a paradigm shift in the way we think about resource use and disposal, which in turn directly impacts our ongoing relationship with inorganic semiconductors such as silicon and gallium arsenide. Furthermore, advances in fields such as nano-medicine and bioelectronics, and the impending revolution of the ‘ubiquitous sensor network’, all require new functional materials which are bio-compatible, cheap, have minimal embedded manufacturing energy plus extremely low power consumption, and are mechanically robust and flexible for integration with tissues, building structures, fabrics and all manner of hosts. In this short review article we summarize current progress in creating materials with such properties. We focus primarily on organic and bio-organic electronic and optoelectronic systems derived from or inspired by nature, and outline the complex charge transport and photo-physics which control their behaviour. We also introduce the concept of electrical devices based upon ion or proton flow (‘ionics and protonics’) and focus particularly on their role as a signal interface with biological systems. Finally, we highlight recent advances in creating working devices, some of which have bio-inspired architectures, and summarize the current issues, challenges and potential solutions. This is a rich new playground for the modern materials physicist. (review article)

Peristaltic Wave Locomotion and Shape Morphing with a Millipede Inspired System

Science.gov (United States)

Spinello, Davide; Fattahi, Javad S.

2017-08-01

We present the mechanical model of a bio-inspired deformable system, modeled as a Timoshenko beam, which is coupled to a substrate by a system of distributed elements. The locomotion action is inspired by the coordinated motion of coupling elements that mimic the legs of millipedes and centipedes, whose leg-to-ground contact can be described as a peristaltic displacement wave. The multi-legged structure is crucial in providing redundancy and robustness in the interaction with unstructured environments and terrains. A Lagrangian approach is used to derive the governing equations of the system that couple locomotion and shape morphing. Features and limitations of the model are illustrated with numerical simulations.

Bio-inspired carbon electro-catalysis for the oxygen reduction reaction

OpenAIRE

Preuss, Kathrin; Kannuchamy, Vasanth Kumar; Marinovic, Adam; Isaacs, Mark; Wilson, Karen; Abrahams, Isaac; Titirici, Maria-Magdalena

2016-01-01

We report the synthesis, characterisation and catalytic performance of two nature-inspired biomass-derived electro-catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells. The catalysts were prepared via pyrolysis of a real food waste (lobster shells) or by mimicking the composition of lobster shells using chitin and CaCO3 particles followed by acid washing. The simplified model of artificial lobster was prepared for better reproducibility. The calcium carbonate in both samples acts as a po...

A bio-inspired real-time capable artificial lateral line system for freestream flow measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Abels, C; Qualtieri, A; De Vittorio, M; Megill, W M; Rizzi, F

2016-06-03

To enhance today's artificial flow sensing capabilities in aerial and underwater robotics, future robots could be equipped with a large number of miniaturized sensors distributed over the surface to provide high resolution measurement of the surrounding fluid flow. In this work we show a linear array of closely separated bio-inspired micro-electro-mechanical flow sensors whose sensing mechanism is based on a piezoresistive strain-gauge along a stress-driven cantilever beam, mimicking the biological superficial neuromasts found in the lateral line organ of fishes. Aiming to improve state-of-the-art flow sensing capability in autonomously flying and swimming robots, our artificial lateral line system was designed and developed to feature multi-parameter freestream flow measurements which provide information about (1) local flow velocities as measured by the signal amplitudes from the individual cantilevers as well as (2) propagation velocity, (3) linear forward/backward direction along the cantilever beam orientation and (4) periodicity of pulses or pulse trains determined by cross-correlating sensor signals. A real-time capable cross-correlation procedure was developed which makes it possible to extract freestream flow direction and velocity information from flow fluctuations. The computed flow velocities deviate from a commercial system by 0.09 m s(-1) at 0.5 m s(-1) and 0.15 m s(-1) at 1.0 m s(-1) flow velocity for a sampling rate of 240 Hz and a sensor distance of 38 mm. Although experiments were performed in air, the presented flow sensing system can be applied to underwater vehicles as well, once the sensors are embedded in a waterproof micro-electro-mechanical systems package.

Exploring the Applications of Bio-Eco Architecture for Sustainable Design and Construction process

OpenAIRE

M. M. Naguib; M. A. M. Hanafi

2013-01-01

It has been commonly noted that the main perception of nature influenced forms isbasically aesthetic while little concern is given to the importance of inspiring from naturein the construction and structural performance of buildings as well as in the naturalecological architectural solutions, thus, this paper will focus on bio-inspired architectureapproach which embraces the eco-friendly practices of sustainable construction, the useof natural materials and the energy conservation by mimickin...

Bio-inspired fabrication of stimuli-responsive photonic crystals with hierarchical structures and their applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Tao; Peng, Wenhong; Zhu, Shenmin; Zhang, Di

2016-01-01

When the constitutive materials of photonic crystals (PCs) are stimuli-responsive, the resultant PCs exhibit optical properties that can be tuned by the stimuli. This can be exploited for promising applications in colour displays, biological and chemical sensors, inks and paints, and many optically active components. However, the preparation of the required photonic structures is the first issue to be solved. In the past two decades, approaches such as microfabrication and self-assembly have been developed to incorporate stimuli-responsive materials into existing periodic structures for the fabrication of PCs, either as the initial building blocks or as the surrounding matrix. Generally, the materials that respond to thermal, pH, chemical, optical, electrical, or magnetic stimuli are either soft or aggregate, which is why the manufacture of three-dimensional hierarchical photonic structures with responsive properties is a great challenge. Recently, inspired by biological PCs in nature which exhibit both flexible and responsive properties, researchers have developed various methods to synthesize metals and metal oxides with hierarchical structures by using a biological PC as the template. This review will focus on the recent developments in this field. In particular, PCs with biological hierarchical structures that can be tuned by external stimuli have recently been successfully fabricated. These findings offer innovative insights into the design of responsive PCs and should be of great importance for future applications of these materials. (topical review)

eDNA: A Bio-Inspired Reconfigurable Hardware Cell Architecture Supporting Self-organisation and Self-healing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boesen, Michael Reibel; Madsen, Jan

2009-01-01

This paper presents the concept of a biological inspired reconfigurable hardware cell architecture which supports self-organisation and self-healing. Two fundamental processes in biology, namely fertilization-to-birth and cell self-healing have inspired the development of this cell architecture...... to simulate our self-organisation and self-healing algorithms and the results obtained from this looks promising....

Bio-objects and the media: the role of communication in bio-objectification processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Maeseele, Pieter; Allgaier, Joachim; Martinelli, Lucia

2013-06-01

The representation of biological innovations in and through communication and media practices is vital for understanding the nature of "bio-objects" and the process we call "bio-objectification." This paper discusses two ideal-typical analytical approaches based on different underlying communication models, ie, the traditional (science- and media-centered) and media sociological (a multi-layered process involving various social actors in defining the meanings of scientific and technological developments) approach. In this analysis, the latter is not only found to be the most promising approach for understanding the circulation, (re)production, and (re)configuration of meanings of bio-objects, but also to interpret the relationship between media and science. On the basis of a few selected examples, this paper highlights how media function as a primary arena for the (re)production and (re)configuration of scientific and biomedical information with regards to bio-objects in the public sphere in general, and toward decision-makers, interest groups, and the public in specific.

[Preface for special issue on bio-based materials (2016)].

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Yunxuan

2016-06-25

Bio-based materials are new materials or chemicals with renewable biomass as raw materials such as grain, legume, straw, bamboo and wood powder. This class of materials includes bio-based polymer, biobased fiber, glycotechnology products, biobased rubber and plastics produced by biomass thermoplastic processing and basic biobased chemicals, for instance, bio-alcohols, organic acids, alkanes, and alkenes, obtained by bio-synthesis, bio-processing and bio-refinery. Owing to its environmental friendly and resource conservation, bio-based materials are becoming a new dominant industry taking the lead in the world scientific and technological innovation and economic development. An overview of bio-based materials development is reported in this special issue, and the industrial status and research progress of the following aspects, including biobased fiber, polyhydroxyalkanoates, biodegradable mulching film, bio-based polyamide, protein based biomedical materials, bio-based polyurethane, and modification and processing of poly(lactic acid), are introduced.

The Bio-Economy Concept and Knowledge Base in a Public Goods and Farmer Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Otto Schmidt

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Currently an industrial perspective dominates the EU policy framework for a European bio-economy. The Commission’s proposal on the bio-economy emphasises greater resource-efficiency, largely within an industrial perspective on global economic competitiveness, benefiting capital-intensive industries at higher levels of the value chain. However a responsible bio-economy must initially address the sustainable use of resources. Many farmers are not only commodity producers but also providers of quality food and managers of the eco-system. A public goods-oriented bio-economy emphasises agro-ecological methods, organic and low (external input farming systems, ecosystem services, social innovation in multi-stakeholder collective practices and joint production of knowledge. The potential of farmers and SMEs to contribute to innovation must be fully recognised. This approach recognises the importance of local knowledge enhancing local capabilities, while also accommodating diversity and complexity. Therefore the bio-economy concept should have a much broader scope than the dominant one in European Commission innovation policy. Socio-economic research is needed to inform strategies, pathways and stakeholder cooperation towards sustainability goals.

A Theoretical Characterization of Curvature Controlled Adhesive Properties of Bio-Inspired Membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Afferante, Luciano; Heepe, Lars; Casdorff, Kirstin

2016-01-01

Some biological systems, such as the tree frog, Litoria caerulea, and the bush-cricket, Tettigonia viridissima, have developed the ability to control adhesion by changing the curvature of their pads. Active control systems of adhesion inspired by these biological models can be very attractive...

Bio-Inspired Multi-Functional Drug Transport Design Concept and Simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Pidaparti, Ramana M; Cartin, Charles; Su, Guoguang

2017-04-25

In this study, we developed a microdevice concept for drug/fluidic transport taking an inspiration from supramolecular motor found in biological cells. Specifically, idealized multi-functional design geometry (nozzle/diffuser/nozzle) was developed for (i) fluidic/particle transport; (ii) particle separation; and (iii) droplet generation. Several design simulations were conducted to demonstrate the working principles of the multi-functional device. The design simulations illustrate that the proposed design concept is feasible for multi-functionality. However, further experimentation and optimization studies are needed to fully evaluate the multifunctional device concept for multiple applications.

Feasibility Study of a Bio-inspired Artificial Pancreas in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Science.gov (United States)

Herrero, Pau; El Sharkawy, Mohamed; Pesl, Peter; Jugnee, Narvada; Thomson, Hazel; Pavitt, Darrell; Toumazou, Christofer; Johnston, Desmond; Georgiou, Pantelis; Oliver, Nick

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: This study assesses proof of concept and safety of a novel bio-inspired artificial pancreas (BiAP) system in adults with type 1 diabetes during fasting, overnight, and postprandial conditions. In contrast to existing glucose controllers in artificial pancreas systems, the BiAP uses a control algorithm based on a mathematical model of β-cell physiology. The algorithm is implemented on a miniature silicon microchip within a portable hand-held device that interfaces the components of the artificial pancreas. Materials and Methods: In this nonrandomized open-label study each subject attended for a 6-h fasting study followed by a 13-h overnight and post-breakfast study on a separate occasion. During both study sessions the BiAP system was used, and microboluses of insulin were recommended every 5 min by the control algorithm according to subcutaneous sensor glucose levels. The primary outcome was percentage time spent in the glucose target range (3.9–10.0 mmol/L). Results: Twenty subjects (55% male; mean [SD] age, 44 [10] years; duration of diabetes, 22 [12] years; glycosylated hemoglobin, 7.4% [0.7%] [57 (7) mmol/mol]; body mass index, 25 [4] kg/m2) participated in the fasting study, and the median (interquartile range) percentage time in target range was 98.0% (90.8–100.0%). Seventeen of these subjects then participated in the overnight/postprandial study, where 70.7% (63.9–77.4%) of time was spent in the target range and, reassuringly, 0.0% (0.0–2.3%) of time was spent in hypoglycemia (<3.9 mmol/L). Conclusions: The BiAP achieves safe glycemic control during fasting, overnight, and postprandial conditions. PMID:24801544

Bio-inspired photonic-crystal microchip for fluorescent ultratrace detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Jue; Zhang, Huacheng; Yang, Qiang; Li, Mingzhu; Song, Yanlin; Jiang, Lei

2014-06-02

Ultratrace detection attracts great interest because it is still a challenge to the early diagnosis and drug testing. Enriching the targets from highly diluted solutions to the sensitive area is a promising method. Inspired by the fog-collecting structure on Stenocara beetle's back, a photonic-crystal (PC) microchip with hydrophilic-hydrophobic micropattern was fabricated by inkjet printing. This device was used to realize high-sensitive ultratrace detection of fluorescence analytes and fluorophore-based assays. Coupled with the fluorescence enhancement effect of a PC, detection down to 10(-16) mol L(-1) was achieved. This design can be combined with biophotonic devices for the detection of drugs, diseases, and pollutions of the ecosystem. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Bio-Inspired Photon Absorption and Energy Transfer for Next Generation Photovoltaic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Magsi, Komal

Nature's solar energy harvesting system, photosynthesis, serves as a model for photon absorption, spectra broadening, and energy transfer. Photosynthesis harvests light far differently than photovoltaic cells. These differences offer both engineering opportunity and scientific challenges since not all of the natural photon absorption mechanisms have been understood. In return, solar cells can be a very sensitive probe for the absorption characteristics of molecules capable of transferring charge to a conductive interface. The objective of this scientific work is the advancement of next generation photovoltaics through the development and application of natural photo-energy transfer processes. Two scientific methods were used in the development and application of enhancing photon absorption and transfer. First, a detailed analysis of photovoltaic front surface fluorescent spectral modification and light scattering by hetero-structure was conducted. Phosphor based spectral down-conversion is a well-known laser technology. The theoretical calculations presented here indicate that parasitic losses and light scattering within the spectral range are large enough to offset any expected gains. The second approach for enhancing photon absorption is based on bio-inspired mechanisms. Key to the utilization of these natural processes is the development of a detailed scientific understanding and the application of these processes to cost effective systems and devices. In this work both aspects are investigated. Dye type solar cells were prepared and tested as a function of Chlorophyll (or Sodium-Copper Chlorophyllin) and accessory dyes. Forster has shown that the fluorescence ratio of Chlorophyll is modified and broadened by separate photon absorption (sensitized absorption) through interaction with nearby accessory pigments. This work used the dye type solar cell as a diagnostic tool by which to investigate photon absorption and photon energy transfer. These experiments shed

Bio-Manufacturing to market pilot project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dressen, Tiffaney [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2017-09-25

The Bio-Manufacturing to Market pilot project was a part of the AMJIAC, the Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge grant. This internship program set out to further define and enhance the talent pipeline from the University and local Community Colleges to startup culture in East Bay Area, provide undergraduate STEM students with opportunities outside academia, and provide startup companies with much needed talent. Over the 4 year period of performance, the Bio-Manufacturing to Market internship program sponsored 75 undergraduate STEM students who were able to spend anywhere from one to six semesters working with local Bay Area startup companies and DOE sponsored facilities/programs in the biotech, bio-manufacturing, and biomedical device fields.

Bio-inspired Hybrid Carbon Nanotube Muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae Hyeob; Kwon, Cheong Hoon; Lee, Changsun; An, Jieun; Phuong, Tam Thi Thanh; Park, Sun Hwa; Lima, Márcio D.; Baughman, Ray H.; Kang, Tong Mook; Kim, Seon Jeong

2016-05-01

There has been continuous progress in the development for biomedical engineering systems of hybrid muscle generated by combining skeletal muscle and artificial structure. The main factor affecting the actuation performance of hybrid muscle relies on the compatibility between living cells and their muscle scaffolds during cell culture. Here, we developed a hybrid muscle powered by C2C12 skeletal muscle cells based on the functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) sheets coated with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) to achieve biomimetic actuation. This hydrophilic hybrid muscle is physically durable in solution and responds to electric field stimulation with flexible movement. Furthermore, the biomimetic actuation when controlled by electric field stimulation results in movement similar to that of the hornworm by patterned cell culture method. The contraction and relaxation behavior of the PEDOT/MWCNT-based hybrid muscle is similar to that of the single myotube movement, but has faster relaxation kinetics because of the shape-maintenance properties of the freestanding PEDOT/MWCNT sheets in solution. Our development provides the potential possibility for substantial innovation in the next generation of cell-based biohybrid microsystems.

Bio-inspired ciliary force sensor for robotic platforms

KAUST Repository

Ribeiro, Pedro; Khan, Mohammed Asadullah; Alfadhel, Ahmed; Kosel, Jü rgen; Franco, Fernando; Cardoso, Susana; Bernardino, Alexandre; Schmitz, Alexander; Santos-Victor, Jose; Jamone, Lorenzo

2017-01-01

The detection of small forces is of great interest in any robotic application that involves interaction with the environment (e.g., objects manipulation, physical human-robot interaction, minimally invasive surgery), since it allows the robot to detect the contacts early on and to act accordingly. In this letter, we present a sensor design inspired by the ciliary structure frequently found in nature, consisting of an array of permanently magnetized cylinders (cilia) patterned over a giant magnetoresistance sensor (GMR). When these cylinders are deformed in shape due to applied forces, the stray magnetic field variation will change the GMR sensor resistivity, thus enabling the electrical measurement of the applied force. In this letter, we present two 3 mm × 3 mm prototypes composed of an array of five cilia with 1 mm of height and 120 and 200 μm of diameter for each prototype. A minimum force of 333 μN was measured. A simulation model for determining the magnetized cylinders average stray magnetic field is also presented.

Bio-inspired ciliary force sensor for robotic platforms

KAUST Repository

Ribeiro, Pedro

2017-01-20

The detection of small forces is of great interest in any robotic application that involves interaction with the environment (e.g., objects manipulation, physical human-robot interaction, minimally invasive surgery), since it allows the robot to detect the contacts early on and to act accordingly. In this letter, we present a sensor design inspired by the ciliary structure frequently found in nature, consisting of an array of permanently magnetized cylinders (cilia) patterned over a giant magnetoresistance sensor (GMR). When these cylinders are deformed in shape due to applied forces, the stray magnetic field variation will change the GMR sensor resistivity, thus enabling the electrical measurement of the applied force. In this letter, we present two 3 mm × 3 mm prototypes composed of an array of five cilia with 1 mm of height and 120 and 200 μm of diameter for each prototype. A minimum force of 333 μN was measured. A simulation model for determining the magnetized cylinders average stray magnetic field is also presented.

Superhydrophobic gecko feet with high adhesive forces towards water and their bio-inspired materials

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kesong; Du, Jiexing; Wu, Juntao; Jiang, Lei

2012-01-01

Functional integration is an inherent characteristic for multiscale structures of biological materials. In this contribution, we first investigate the liquid-solid adhesive forces between water droplets and superhydrophobic gecko feet using a high-sensitivity micro-electromechanical balance system. It was found, in addition to the well-known solid-solid adhesion, the gecko foot, with a multiscale structure, possesses both superhydrophobic functionality and a high adhesive force towards water. The origin of the high adhesive forces of gecko feet to water could be attributed to the high density nanopillars that contact the water. Inspired by this, polyimide films with gecko-like multiscale structures were constructed by using anodic aluminum oxide templates, exhibiting superhydrophobicity and a strong adhesive force towards water. The static water contact angle is larger than 150° and the adhesive force to water is about 66 μN. The resultant gecko-inspired polyimide film can be used as a ``mechanical hand'' to snatch micro-liter liquids. We expect this work will provide the inspiration to reveal the mechanism of the high-adhesive superhydrophobic of geckos and extend the practical applications of polyimide materials.

Measuring Consumer Innovativeness: Identifying Innovators among Consumers of Modern Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jana Filová

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The methods currently used in innovation marketing research are focused on the late phases of the innovation process and are usually methodologically complex. This limits their practical impact. The presented work aims to create a simple self-report scale applicable in the initial and late phases of the innovation process, highly modular and suitable for a wide range of research. The main battery of questions was inspired by the adopter categorization by Rogers. The questions determine both (1 general characteristics of innovation adopters and (2 their relationship to a specific innovation. The scale was tested during robust longitudinal online research, thematically focused on users of modern technologies. A representative sample of 4,000 Internet users in the Czech Republic took part in the survey from 2013 to 2015. The result is a new self-report scale measuring consumer innovativeness applicable for prototyping, strategic decisions and effective communication of innovations to consumers.

Sustainability benefits and challenges of inter-organizational collaboration in bio-based business

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nuhoff-Isakhanyan, Gohar; Wubben, Emiel F.M.; Omta, S.W.F.

2016-01-01

Bio-based businesses are often considered to be sustainable. However, they are also linked to sustainability challenges such as deforestation and soil erosion. Encouraged to exploit innovative solutions and enhance sustainability, organizations engaged in bio-based activities extensively explore

Mussel-inspired tough hydrogels with self-repairing and tissue adhesion

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Zijian; Duan, Lijie; Yang, Yongqi; Hu, Wei; Gao, Guanghui

2018-01-01

The mussel-inspired polymeric hydrogels have been attractively explored owing to their self-repairing or adhesive property when the catechol groups of dopamine could chelate metal ions. However, it was a challenge for self-repairing hydrogels owning high mechanical properties. Herein, a synergistic strategy was proposed by combining catechol-Fe3+ complexes and hydrophobic association. The resulting hydrogels exhibited seamless self-repairing behavior, tissue adhesion and high mechanical property. Moreover, the pH-dependent stoichiometry of catechol-Fe3+ and temperature-sensitive hydrophobic association endue hydrogels with pH/thermo responsive characteristics. Subsequently, the self-repairing rate and mechanical property of hydrogels were investigated at different pH and temperature. This bio-inspired strategy would build an avenue for designing and constructing a new generation of self-repairing, tissue-adhesive and tough hydrogel.

Formalisation d'un modèle de conception et d'innovation dans le domaine des bio-industries : cas des particules d'argile.

OpenAIRE

Lorentz , Romain

2014-01-01

This doctoral thesis was realized within the framework of a partnership between the Product Design and Innovation Laboratory of Arts et Métiers ParisTech and the Ecole de Biologie Industrielle. The research project behind our thesis aims to support the promotion of new clay particles having been patented by the EBInnov® laboratory. This new polyfunctional ingredient is designed to satisfy several applications in the bio-industries, including the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry, the phyto...

Bio-robots automatic navigation with graded electric reward stimulation based on Reinforcement Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chen; Sun, Chao; Gao, Liqiang; Zheng, Nenggan; Chen, Weidong; Zheng, Xiaoxiang

2013-01-01

Bio-robots based on brain computer interface (BCI) suffer from the lack of considering the characteristic of the animals in navigation. This paper proposed a new method for bio-robots' automatic navigation combining the reward generating algorithm base on Reinforcement Learning (RL) with the learning intelligence of animals together. Given the graded electrical reward, the animal e.g. the rat, intends to seek the maximum reward while exploring an unknown environment. Since the rat has excellent spatial recognition, the rat-robot and the RL algorithm can convergent to an optimal route by co-learning. This work has significant inspiration for the practical development of bio-robots' navigation with hybrid intelligence.

Mimicking the cell membrane: bio-inspired simultaneous functions with monovalent anion selectivity and antifouling properties of anion exchange membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yan; Liu, Huimin; Tang, Kaini; Jin, Yali; Pan, Jiefeng; der Bruggen, Bart Van; Shen, Jiangnan; Gao, Congjie

2016-01-01

A new bio-inspired method was applied in this study to simultaneously improve the monovalent anion selectivity and antifouling properties of anion exchange membranes (AEMs). Three-layer architecture was developed by deposition of polydopamine (PDA) and electro-deposition of N-O-sulfonic acid benzyl chitosan (NSBC). The innermost and outermost layers were PDA with different deposition time. The middle layer was prepared by NSBC. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that PDA and NSBC were successfully modified on the surfaces of AEMs. The contact angle of the membranes indicated an improved hydrophilicity of the modified membranes. A series of electrodialysis experiments in which Cl−/SO42− separation was studied, demonstrating the monovalent anion selectivity of the samples. The Cl−/SO42− permselectivity of the modified membranes can reach up to 2.20, higher than that of the commercial membrane (only 0.78) during 90 minutes in electrodialysis (ED). The increase value of the resistance of the membranes was also measured to evaluate the antifouling properties. Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) was used as the fouling material in the ED process and the membrane area resistance of modified membrane increase value of was only 0.08 Ωcm2 30 minutes later. PMID:27853255

Mimicking the cell membrane: bio-inspired simultaneous functions with monovalent anion selectivity and antifouling properties of anion exchange membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yan; Liu, Huimin; Tang, Kaini; Jin, Yali; Pan, Jiefeng; der Bruggen, Bart Van; Shen, Jiangnan; Gao, Congjie

2016-11-01

A new bio-inspired method was applied in this study to simultaneously improve the monovalent anion selectivity and antifouling properties of anion exchange membranes (AEMs). Three-layer architecture was developed by deposition of polydopamine (PDA) and electro-deposition of N-O-sulfonic acid benzyl chitosan (NSBC). The innermost and outermost layers were PDA with different deposition time. The middle layer was prepared by NSBC. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that PDA and NSBC were successfully modified on the surfaces of AEMs. The contact angle of the membranes indicated an improved hydrophilicity of the modified membranes. A series of electrodialysis experiments in which Cl-/SO42- separation was studied, demonstrating the monovalent anion selectivity of the samples. The Cl-/SO42- permselectivity of the modified membranes can reach up to 2.20, higher than that of the commercial membrane (only 0.78) during 90 minutes in electrodialysis (ED). The increase value of the resistance of the membranes was also measured to evaluate the antifouling properties. Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) was used as the fouling material in the ED process and the membrane area resistance of modified membrane increase value of was only 0.08 Ωcm2 30 minutes later.

Bio-inspired green synthesis of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles using watermelon rinds and their catalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Ch.; Gangadhara, S.; Venkateswarlu, P.

2016-08-01

Novel and bio-inspired magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized using watermelon rinds (WR) which are nontoxic and biodegradable. Watermelon rind extract was used as a solvent and capping and reducing agent in the synthesis. The Fe3o4 MNPs were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and vibrating sample magnetometer techniques (VSM). XRD studies revealed a high degree of crystalline and monophasic Fe nanoparticles of face-centered cubic stricture. FTIR analysis proved that particles are reduced and stabilized in solution by the capping agent that is likely to be proteins secreted by the biomass. The present process in an excellent candidate for the synthesis of iron nanoparticles that is simple, easy to execute, pollutant free and inexpensive. A practical and convenient method for the synthesis of highly stable and small-sized iron nanoparticles with a narrow distribution from 2 to 20 nm is reported. Also, the MNPs present in higher saturation magnetization (Ms) of 14.2 emu/g demonstrate tremendous magnetic response behavior. However, the synthesized iron nanoparticles were used as a catalyst for the preparation of biologically interesting 2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine derivatives in high yields. These results exhibited that the synthesized Fe3O4 MNPs could be used as a catalyst in organic synthesis.

RELATIONSHIP MARKETING IN THE INNOVATION PROCESSES

OpenAIRE

Rodica Boier

2013-01-01

Inspired from the context of business-to-business markets, relationship marketing in the context of innovation have been expanded more and more to the consumer markets as well. The paper starts with a review of several most relevant studies on relationship marketing-innovation topic, from the first references to the current complex approaches. The effective stakeholder involvement in the value creation provides a more fertile ground for further successful innovations. All of the variables gen...

On the synthesis of a bio-inspired dual-cellular fluidic flexible matrix composite adaptive structure based on a non-dimensional dynamics model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Suyi; Wang, K W

2013-01-01

A recent study investigated the dynamic characteristics of an adaptive structure concept featuring dual fluidic flexible matrix composite (F 2 MC) cells inspired by the configuration of plant cells and cell walls. This novel bio-inspired system consists of two F 2 MC cells with different fiber angles connected through internal fluid circuits. It was discovered that the dual F 2 MC cellular structure can be characterized as a two degree of freedom damped mass–spring oscillator, and can be utilized as a vibration absorber or an enhanced actuator under different operation conditions. These results demonstrated that the concept is promising and further investigations are needed to develop methodologies for synthesizing future multi-cellular F 2 MC structural systems. While interesting, the previous study focused on specific case studies and analysis. That is, the outcome did not provide insight that could be generalized, or tools for synthesizing a multiple F 2 MC cellular structure. This paper attempts to address this important issue by developing a non-dimensional dynamic model, which reveals good physical insights as well as identifying crucial constitutive parameters for F 2 MC cellular design. Working with these parameters, rather than physical variables, can greatly simplify the mathematics involved in the study. A synthesis tool is then developed for the dual-cellular structure, and it is found that for each set of achievable target poles and zero, there exist multiple F 2 MC cellular designs, forming a design space. The presented physical insights and synthesis tool for the dual-cellular structure will be the building blocks for future investigation on cellular structures with a larger number of cells. (paper)

Colloidal-based additive manufacturing of bio-inspired composites

Science.gov (United States)

Studart, Andre R.

Composite materials in nature exhibit heterogeneous architectures that are tuned to fulfill the functional demands of the surrounding environment. Examples range from the cellulose-based organic structure of plants to highly mineralized collagen-based skeletal parts like bone and teeth. Because they are often utilized to combine opposing properties such as strength and low-density or stiffness and wear resistance, the heterogeneous architecture of natural materials can potentially address several of the technical limitations of artificial homogeneous composites. However, current man-made manufacturing technologies do not allow for the level of composition and fiber orientation control found in natural heterogeneous systems. In this talk, I will present two additive manufacturing technologies recently developed in our group to build composites with exquisite architectures only rivaled by structures made by living organisms in nature. Since the proposed techniques utilize colloidal suspensions as feedstock, understanding the physics underlying the stability, assembly and rheology of the printing inks is key to predict and control the architecture of manufactured parts. Our results will show that additive manufacturing routes offer a new exciting pathway for the fabrication of biologically-inspired composite materials with unprecedented architectures and functionalities.

Bio-inspired heterogeneous composites for broadband vibration mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yanyu; Wang, Lifeng

2015-12-08

Structural biological materials have developed heterogeneous and hierarchical architectures that are responsible for the outstanding performance to provide protection against environmental threats including static and dynamic loading. Inspired by this observation, this research aims to develop new material and structural concepts for broadband vibration mitigation. The proposed composite materials possess a two-layered heterogeneous architecture where both layers consist of high-volume platelet-shape reinforcements and low-volume matrix, similar to the well-known "brick and mortar" microstructure of biological composites. Using finite element method, we numerically demonstrated that broadband wave attenuation zones can be achieved by tailoring the geometric features of the heterogeneous architecture. We reveal that the resulting broadband attenuation zones are gained by directly superimposing the attenuation zones in each constituent layer. This mechanism is further confirmed by the investigation into the phonon dispersion relation of each layer. Importantly, the broadband wave attenuation capability will be maintained when the mineral platelet orientation is locally manipulated, yet a contrast between the mineral platelet concentrations of the two constituent layers is essential. The findings of this work will provide new opportunities to design heterogeneous composites for broadband vibration mitigation and impact resistance under mechanically challenging environmental conditions.

A top-down approach for fabricating free-standing bio-carbon supercapacitor electrodes with a hierarchical structure

OpenAIRE

Yingzhi Li; Qinghua Zhang; Junxian Zhang; Lei Jin; Xin Zhao; Ting Xu

2015-01-01

Biomass has delicate hierarchical structures, which inspired us to develop a cost-effective route to prepare electrode materials with rational nanostructures for use in high-performance storage devices. Here, we demonstrate a novel top-down approach for fabricating bio-carbon materials with stable structures and excellent diffusion pathways; this approach is based on carbonization with controlled chemical activation. The developed free-standing bio-carbon electrode exhibits a high specific ca...

Robotics — Inspired from Nature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huosheng Hu

2012-04-01

Full Text Available It is my great pleasure to welcome you to a new open access journal, Robotics, which is dedicated to both the foundations of artificial intelligence, bio-mechanics, mechatronics and control theories, and the real-world applications of robotic perception, cognition and actions. This includes the innovative scientific trends, and discovery resulting from solving new challenges in the field of robotics. Its open access and rapid dissemination are the unique features separating this journal from all existing journals dedicated to robotics. [...

Bio-mimetic mechanisms of natural hierarchical materials: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Qiang; Pugno, Nicola M

2013-03-01

Natural selection and evolution develop a huge amount of biological materials in different environments (e.g. lotus in water and opuntia in desert). These biological materials possess many inspiring properties, which hint scientists and engineers to find some useful clues to create new materials or update the existing ones. In this review, we highlight some well-studied (e.g. nacre shell) and newly-studied (e.g. turtle shell) natural materials, and summarize their hierarchical structures and mechanisms behind their mechanical properties, from animals to plants. These fascinating mechanisms suggest to researchers to investigate natural materials deeply and broadly, and to design or fabricate new bio-inspired materials to serve our life. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Constellations-driven innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansbøl, Mikala

2011-01-01

The paper presents a science and technology studies and actor-network-theory inspired approach to understanding the development and ongoing re-didactication and re-design of a Danish developed presentation tool called the Theme Board (Tematavlen.dk). It is argued that this approach provides a par...... a particularly useful point of departure for engaging in researching innovation and didactic design of digital teaching and learning instruments such as the Theme Board that are programmed and serviced 'in the sky'. I call this approach: constellation-driven innovations....

Biotechnology and Innovation Systems

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

3 Linkages between bio-innovation, knowledge production and policy in Uruguay ..... Which actors were relevant for designing the strategy and what were the ...... From those interviewed by Silva only one – a manufacturer of diagnostic kits ...

INSPIRE: Interactive NASA Space Physics Ionosphere Radio Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Franzen, K. A.; Garcia, L. N.; Webb, P. A.; Green, J. L.

2007-12-01

The INSPIRE Project is a non-profit scientific and educational corporation whose objective is to bring the excitement of observing very low frequency (VLF) natural radio waves to high school students. Underlying this objective is the conviction that science and technology are the underpinnings of our modern society, and that only with an understanding of these disciplines can people make correct decisions in their lives. Since 1989, the INSPIRE Project has provided specially designed radio receiver kits to over 2,500 students and other groups to make observations of signals in the VLF frequency range. These kits provide an innovative and unique opportunity for students to actively gather data that can be used in a basic research project. Natural VLF emissions that can be studied with the INSPIRE receiver kits include sferics, tweeks, whistlers, and chorus, which originate from phenomena such as lightning. These emissions can either come from the local atmospheric environment within a few tens of kilometers of the receiver or from outer space thousands of kilometers from the Earth. VLF emissions are at such low frequencies that they can be received, amplified and turned into sound that we can hear, with each emission producing in a distinctive sound. In 2006 INSPIRE was re-branded and its mission has expanded to developing new partnerships with multiple science projects. Links to magnetospheric physics, astronomy, and meteorology are being identified. This presentation will introduce the INSPIRE project, display the INSPIRE receiver kits, show examples of the types of VLF emissions that can be collected and provide information on scholarship programs being offered.

A survey of bio-inspired compliant legged robot designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Xiaodong; Bi Shusheng

2012-01-01

The roles of biological springs in vertebrate animals and their implementations in compliant legged robots offer significant advantages over the rigid legged ones in certain types of scenarios. A large number of robotics institutes have been attempting to work in conjunction with biologists and incorporated these principles into the design of biologically inspired robots. The motivation of this review is to investigate the most published compliant legged robots and categorize them according to the types of compliant elements adopted in their mechanical structures. Based on the typical robots investigated, the trade-off between each category is summarized. In addition, the most significant performances of these robots are compared quantitatively, and multiple available solutions for the future compliant legged robot design are suggested. Finally, the design challenges for compliant legged robots are analysed. This review will provide useful guidance for robotic designers in creating new designs by inheriting the virtues of those successful robots according to the specific tasks. (topical review)

Roles in Innovative Software Teams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aaen, Ivan

2010-01-01

With inspiration from role-play and improvisational theater, we are developing a framework for innovation in software teams called Essence. Based on agile principles, Essence is designed for teams of developers and an onsite customer. This paper reports from teaching experiments inspired by design...... science, where we tried to assign differentiated roles to team members. The experiments provided valuable insights into the design of roles in Essence. These insights are used for redesigning how roles are described and conveyed in Essence....

Development of a Biological Science Quantitative Reasoning Exam (BioSQuaRE)

Science.gov (United States)

Stanhope, Liz; Ziegler, Laura; Haque, Tabassum; Le, Laura; Vinces, Marcelo; Davis, Gregory K.; Zieffler, Andrew; Brodfuehrer, Peter; Preest, Marion; Belitsky, Jason M.; Umbanhowar, Charles, Jr.; Overvoorde, Paul J.

2017-01-01

Multiple reports highlight the increasingly quantitative nature of biological research and the need to innovate means to ensure that students acquire quantitative skills. We present a tool to support such innovation. The Biological Science Quantitative Reasoning Exam (BioSQuaRE) is an assessment instrument designed to measure the quantitative…

Interplay of multiple synaptic plasticity features in filamentary memristive devices for neuromorphic computing

Science.gov (United States)

La Barbera, Selina; Vincent, Adrien F.; Vuillaume, Dominique; Querlioz, Damien; Alibart, Fabien

2016-12-01

Bio-inspired computing represents today a major challenge at different levels ranging from material science for the design of innovative devices and circuits to computer science for the understanding of the key features required for processing of natural data. In this paper, we propose a detail analysis of resistive switching dynamics in electrochemical metallization cells for synaptic plasticity implementation. We show how filament stability associated to joule effect during switching can be used to emulate key synaptic features such as short term to long term plasticity transition and spike timing dependent plasticity. Furthermore, an interplay between these different synaptic features is demonstrated for object motion detection in a spike-based neuromorphic circuit. System level simulation presents robust learning and promising synaptic operation paving the way to complex bio-inspired computing systems composed of innovative memory devices.

Biologically inspired growth of hydroxyapatite crystals on bio-organics-defined scaffolds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Chunrong, E-mail: milkhoney3@163.com [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350108 (China); Li, Yuli; Nan, Kaihui [Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325027 (China)

2013-03-15

Graphical abstract: Petal-like crystals were observed to form on the surface of the BG/COL/ChS scaffolds. Highlights: ► Porous scaffolds were prepared using bioglass, collagen and chondroitin sulfate. ► Highly oriented HA crystals were grown on scaffolds using simulated body fluids ► The microstructure and orientation of HA were explained by molecular configuration. - Abstract: Several bio-organics-defined composite scaffolds were prepared using 58s-bioglass (BG), collagen (Col) and chondroitin sulfate (ChS). These scaffolds possess highly porous structure. X-ray diffraction of these scaffolds strongly indicated that hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals formed on their surfaces in simulated body fluids within 3 d, and similar formation process of crystals could be obtained on BG/Col and BG/Col/ChS scaffolds. The morphology and structure of the crystals were further examined by scanning electron microscopy. The results obtained indicate that an apatite with petal-like structure similar to that found on BG/Col scaffolds can be produced on BG/Col/ChS scaffolds through biomimetic synthesis, while that on BG/ChS scaffolds took place differently. The differences could be explained by self-assembly processes and the different macromolecular configurations of the Col and ChS fibrils which self-assemble spontaneously into their fibers. On the other hand, the bio-organics-defined composites have good cell biocompability. The results may be applicable to develop tailored biomaterials for peculiar bone substitute.

Biologically inspired growth of hydroxyapatite crystals on bio-organics-defined scaffolds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chunrong; Li, Yuli; Nan, Kaihui

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: Petal-like crystals were observed to form on the surface of the BG/COL/ChS scaffolds. Highlights: ► Porous scaffolds were prepared using bioglass, collagen and chondroitin sulfate. ► Highly oriented HA crystals were grown on scaffolds using simulated body fluids ► The microstructure and orientation of HA were explained by molecular configuration. - Abstract: Several bio-organics-defined composite scaffolds were prepared using 58s-bioglass (BG), collagen (Col) and chondroitin sulfate (ChS). These scaffolds possess highly porous structure. X-ray diffraction of these scaffolds strongly indicated that hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals formed on their surfaces in simulated body fluids within 3 d, and similar formation process of crystals could be obtained on BG/Col and BG/Col/ChS scaffolds. The morphology and structure of the crystals were further examined by scanning electron microscopy. The results obtained indicate that an apatite with petal-like structure similar to that found on BG/Col scaffolds can be produced on BG/Col/ChS scaffolds through biomimetic synthesis, while that on BG/ChS scaffolds took place differently. The differences could be explained by self-assembly processes and the different macromolecular configurations of the Col and ChS fibrils which self-assemble spontaneously into their fibers. On the other hand, the bio-organics-defined composites have good cell biocompability. The results may be applicable to develop tailored biomaterials for peculiar bone substitute

A light-powered bio-capacitor with nanochannel modulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Siyuan; Lu, Shanfu; Guo, Zhibin; Li, Yuan; Chen, Deliang; Xiang, Yan

2014-09-03

An artificial bio-capacitor system is established, consisting of the proton-pump protein proteorhodopsin and a modified alumina nanochannel, inspired by the capacitor-like behavior of plasma membranes realized through the cooperation of ion-pump and ion-channel proteins. Capacitor-like features of this simplified system are realized and identified, and the photocurrent duration time can be modulated by nanochannel modification to obtain favorable square-wave currents. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mechanics ofadhesion and contact self-cleaning of bio-inspired microfiberadhesives

Science.gov (United States)

Abusomwan, Uyiosa Anthony

The remarkable attachment system of geckos has inspired the development of dry microfiber adhesives through the last two decades. Some of the notable characteristics of gecko-inspired fibrillar adhesives include: strong, directional, and controllable adhesion to smooth and rough surfaces in air, vacuum, and under water; ability to maintain strong adhesion during repeated use; anti-fouling and self-cleaning after contamination. Given these outstanding qualities, fibrillar adhesives promise an extensive range of use in industrial, robotic, manufacturing, medical, and consumer products. Significant advancements have been made in the design of geckoinspired microfiber adhesives with the characteristic properties listed above, with the exception of the anti-fouling and self-cleaning features. The self-cleaning mechanism of the gecko's adhesion system plays an important role to its ability to remain sticky in various environments. Similarly, enabling self-cleaning capability for synthetic microfiber adhesives will lead to robust performance in various areas of application. Presently, the practical use of fibrillar adhesives is restricted mainly to clean environments, where they are free from contaminants. The goal of this thesis is to conduct a detailed study of the mechanisms and mechanics of contact-based self-cleaning of gecko-inspired microfiber adhesives. This work focuses on contact self-cleaning mechanisms, as a more practical approach to cleaning. Previous studies on the cleaning of microfiber adhesives have mostly focused on mechanisms that involve complete removal of the contaminants from the adhesive. In this thesis, a second cleaning process is proposed whereby particles are removed from the tip of the microfibers and embedded between adjacent microfibers or in grooves patterned onto the adhesive, where they are no longer detrimental to the performance of the adhesive. In this work, a model of adhesion for microfiber adhesives that take the deformation of the

Bio-inspired Artificial Intelligence: А Generalized Net Model of the Regularization Process in MLP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanimir Surchev

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Many objects and processes inspired by the nature have been recreated by the scientists. The inspiration to create a Multilayer Neural Network came from human brain as member of the group. It possesses complicated structure and it is difficult to recreate, because of the existence of too many processes that require different solving methods. The aim of the following paper is to describe one of the methods that improve learning process of Artificial Neural Network. The proposed generalized net method presents Regularization process in Multilayer Neural Network. The purpose of verification is to protect the neural network from overfitting. The regularization is commonly used in neural network training process. Many methods of verification are present, the subject of interest is the one known as Regularization. It contains function in order to set weights and biases with smaller values to protect from overfitting.

A new biarticular actuator design facilitates control of leg function in BioBiped3.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharbafi, Maziar Ahmad; Rode, Christian; Kurowski, Stefan; Scholz, Dorian; Möckel, Rico; Radkhah, Katayon; Zhao, Guoping; Rashty, Aida Mohammadinejad; Stryk, Oskar von; Seyfarth, Andre

2016-07-01

Bioinspired legged locomotion comprises different aspects, such as (i) benefiting from reduced complexity control approaches as observed in humans/animals, (ii) combining embodiment with the controllers and (iii) reflecting neural control mechanisms. One of the most important lessons learned from nature is the significant role of compliance in simplifying control, enhancing energy efficiency and robustness against perturbations for legged locomotion. In this research, we investigate how body morphology in combination with actuator design may facilitate motor control of leg function. Inspired by the human leg muscular system, we show that biarticular muscles have a key role in balancing the upper body, joint coordination and swing leg control. Appropriate adjustment of biarticular spring rest length and stiffness can simplify the control and also reduce energy consumption. In order to test these findings, the BioBiped3 robot was developed as a new version of BioBiped series of biologically inspired, compliant musculoskeletal robots. In this robot, three-segmented legs actuated by mono- and biarticular series elastic actuators mimic the nine major human leg muscle groups. With the new biarticular actuators in BioBiped3, novel simplified control concepts for postural balance and for joint coordination in rebounding movements (drop jumps) were demonstrated and approved.

A bio-inspired design of a hand robotic exoskeleton for rehabilitation

Science.gov (United States)

Ong, Aira Patrice R.; Bugtai, Nilo T.

2018-02-01

This paper presents the methodology for the design of a five-degree of freedom wearable robotic exoskeleton for hand rehabilitation. The design is inspired by the biological structure and mechanism of the human hand. One of the distinct features of the device is the cable-driven actuation, which provides the flexion and extension motion. A prototype of the orthotic device has been developed to prove the model of the system and has been tested in a 3D printed mechanical hand. The result showed that the proposed device was consistent with the requirements of bionics and was able to demonstrate the flexion and extension of the system.

Bio-inspired flow sensor from printed PEDOT:PSS micro-hairs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devaraj, Harish; Sharma, Rajnish; Aw, Kean C; Travas-Sejdic, Jadranka; Aydemir, Nihan; Williams, David; Haemmerle, Enrico

2015-01-01

This paper reports on the creation of a low-cost, disposable sensor for low flow velocities, constructed from extruded micro-sized ‘hair’ of conducting polymer PEDOT. These microstructures are inspired by hair strands found in many arthropods and chordates, which play a prime role in sensing air flows. The paper describes the fabrication techniques and the initial prototype testing results toward employing this sensing mechanism in applications requiring sensing of low flow rates such as a flow sensor in neonatal resuscitators. The fabricated 1000 μm long, 6 μm diameter micro-hairs mimic the bending movement of tactile hair strands to sense the velocity of air flow. The prototype sensor developed is a four-level direct digital-output sensor and is capable of detecting flow velocities of up to 0.97 m s −1 . (paper)

Les nanostructures pour créer de la couleur, un art inspiré par la nature

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Philip

2018-02-01

Les reflets changeants des plumes de la queue du paon ont captivé plus d'un esprit curieux. Le scientifique anglais Robert Hooke les qualifiait en 1665 de « surnaturelles » en constatant que, mouillées, elles perdaient leurs couleurs. À l'aide du microscope inventé depuis peu, il observa ces plumes, et découvrit qu'elles étaient couvertes de stries - qu'il suspecta d'être à l'origine des couleurs. Aujourd'hui, la recherche tente de s'inspirer de ces phénomènes : des applications « bio-inspirées » sont en voie de concrétisation. ARRAY(0x29ad218)

Anomalous Diffusion within the Transcriptome as a Bio-Inspired Computing Framework for Resilience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Seffens

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Much of biology-inspired computer science is based on the Central Dogma, as implemented with genetic algorithms or evolutionary computation. That 60-year-old biological principle based on the genome, transcriptome and proteasome is becoming overshadowed by a new paradigm of complex ordered associations and connections between layers of biological entities, such as interactomes, metabolomics, etc. We define a new hierarchical concept as the “Connectosome”, and propose new venues of computational data structures based on a conceptual framework called “Grand Ensemble” which contains the Central Dogma as a subset. Connectedness and communication within and between living or biology-inspired systems comprise ensembles from which a physical computing system can be conceived. In this framework the delivery of messages is filtered by size and a simple and rapid semantic analysis of their content. This work aims to initiate discussion on the Grand Ensemble in network biology as a representation of a Persistent Turing Machine. This framework adding interaction and persistency to the classic Turing-machine model uses metrics based on resilience that has application to dynamic optimization problem solving in Genetic Programming.

Writing Inspired

Science.gov (United States)

Tischhauser, Karen

2015-01-01

Students need inspiration to write. Assigning is not teaching. In order to inspire students to write fiction worth reading, teachers must take them through the process of writing. Physical objects inspire good writing with depth. In this article, the reader will be taken through the process of inspiring young writers through the use of boxes.…

Parameter estimation with bio-inspired meta-heuristic optimization: modeling the dynamics of endocytosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tashkova Katerina

2011-10-01

convergence. These results hold for both real and artificial data, for all observability scenarios considered, and for all amounts of noise added to the artificial data. In sum, the meta-heuristic methods considered are suitable for estimating the parameters in the ODE model of the dynamics of endocytosis under a range of conditions: With the model and conditions being representative of parameter estimation tasks in ODE models of biochemical systems, our results clearly highlight the promise of bio-inspired meta-heuristic methods for parameter estimation in dynamic system models within system biology.

Parameter estimation with bio-inspired meta-heuristic optimization: modeling the dynamics of endocytosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tashkova, Katerina; Korošec, Peter; Silc, Jurij; Todorovski, Ljupčo; Džeroski, Sašo

2011-10-11

artificial data, for all observability scenarios considered, and for all amounts of noise added to the artificial data. In sum, the meta-heuristic methods considered are suitable for estimating the parameters in the ODE model of the dynamics of endocytosis under a range of conditions: With the model and conditions being representative of parameter estimation tasks in ODE models of biochemical systems, our results clearly highlight the promise of bio-inspired meta-heuristic methods for parameter estimation in dynamic system models within system biology.

The development of Bio-pharmaceutical industry in China: problems and solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Gujun

2014-07-01

Known as the "sunrise industry" of the 21st century, bio-pharmaceutical industry has been a fast-growing global industry, and many countries have been developing this industry as the focus of their national economies. In China, there exists a huge market demand for the development of bio-pharmaceutical industry, but at the present stage the industry is faced with some problems, such as low level of R & D for innovative drugs, and inappropriate capital investment in the industrialization. In order to accelerate the development of China's bio-pharmaceutical industry, it is necessary to take strategic initiatives of improving the technology transfer system, developing the bio-pharmaceutical outsourcing, and building a diversified industrial financing system.

Performance assessment of bio-inspired systems: flow sensing MEMS hairs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Droogendijk, H; Krijnen, G J M; Casas, J; Steinmann, T

2015-01-01

Despite vigorous growth in biomimetic design, the performance of man-made devices relative to their natural templates is still seldom quantified, a procedure which would however significantly increase the rigour of the biomimetic approach. We applied the ubiquitous engineering concept of a figure of merit (FoM) to MEMS flow sensors inspired by cricket filiform hairs. A well known mechanical model of a hair is refined and tailored to this task. Five criteria of varying importance in the biological and engineering fields are computed: responsivity, power transfer, power efficiency, response time and detection threshold. We selected the metrics response time and detection threshold for building the FoM to capture the performance in a single number. Crickets outperform actual MEMS on all criteria for a large range of flow frequencies. Our approach enables us to propose several improvements for MEMS hair-sensor design. (paper)

Nanofluidics in two-dimensional layered materials: inspirations from nature.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jun; Feng, Yaping; Guo, Wei; Jiang, Lei

2017-08-29

With the advance of chemistry, materials science, and nanotechnology, significant progress has been achieved in the design and application of synthetic nanofluidic devices and materials, mimicking the gating, rectifying, and adaptive functions of biological ion channels. Fundamental physics and chemistry behind these novel transport phenomena on the nanoscale have been explored in depth on single-pore platforms. However, toward real-world applications, one major challenge is to extrapolate these single-pore devices into macroscopic materials. Recently, inspired partially by the layered microstructure of nacre, the material design and large-scale integration of artificial nanofluidic devices have stepped into a completely new stage, termed 2D nanofluidics. Unique advantages of the 2D layered materials have been found, such as facile and scalable fabrication, high flux, efficient chemical modification, tunable channel size, etc. These features enable wide applications in, for example, biomimetic ion transport manipulation, molecular sieving, water treatment, and nanofluidic energy conversion and storage. This review highlights the recent progress, current challenges, and future perspectives in this emerging research field of "2D nanofluidics", with emphasis on the thought of bio-inspiration.

Curriculum Innovation in Undergraduate Accounting Degree Programmes through "Virtual Internships"

Science.gov (United States)

Bayerlein, Leopold

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss major criticisms of traditional undergraduate accounting programmes and to introduce virtual internships as a curriculum innovation that addresses these criticisms. Design/methodology/approach: The main aim of the paper is to inspire curriculum innovation in accounting programmes though the…

Sensing Structures Inspired by Blind Cave Fish

Science.gov (United States)

McConney, Michael E.; Chen, Nannan; Lu, David; Anderson, Kyle D.; Hu, Huan; Liu, Chang; Tsukruk, Vladimir V.

2009-03-01

Blind cave fish, with degenerated non-functioning eyes, have evolved to ``see'' their hydrodynamic environment by using the flow receptors of the lateral line system. The hair-cell receptors are encapsulated in a hydrogel-like material, called a cupula, which increases the sensitivity of the hair-cell receptors by coupling their motion to the surrounding flowing media. We characterized the viscoelastic properties and of blind cave fish cupulae by using colloidal-probe spectroscopy in fluid. A photo-patternable hydrogel with similar properties was developed to mimic the fish receptor coupling structure. Flow-based measurements indicated that the hydrogels enhance drag through increased surface area, but also inherent material properties. These bio-inspired structures endowed micro-fabricated flow sensors with sensitivities rivaling that of fish.

Facilities management innovation in public-private collaborations: Danish ESCO projects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nardelli, Giulia; Jensen, Jesper Ole; Nielsen, Susanne Balslev

2015-01-01

The purpose of the article is to investigate how Facilities Management (FM) units navigate Energy Service Company (ESCO) collaborations, here defined as examples of public collaborative innovation within the context of FM. The driving motivation is to inform and inspire internal FM units of local...... institutions on how to navigate and manage collaboration of different, intra- and inter-organisational actors throughout ESCO projects.......The purpose of the article is to investigate how Facilities Management (FM) units navigate Energy Service Company (ESCO) collaborations, here defined as examples of public collaborative innovation within the context of FM. The driving motivation is to inform and inspire internal FM units of local...

Your guide to Workplace innovation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Totterdill, P.; Dhondt, S.; Boermans, S.

2016-01-01

Therefore we decided to answer the main question related to workplace innovation: “how can we actually do it?” This short guide will give you practical knowledge, inspire you with great case studies, help you to assess current practice in your organisation, suggest pathways to change, and signpost

Controlling Hydrogel Mechanics via Bio-Inspired Polymer-Nanoparticle Bond Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qiaochu; Barrett, Devin G; Messersmith, Phillip B; Holten-Andersen, Niels

2016-01-26

Interactions between polymer molecules and inorganic nanoparticles can play a dominant role in nanocomposite material mechanics, yet control of such interfacial interaction dynamics remains a significant challenge particularly in water. This study presents insights on how to engineer hydrogel material mechanics via nanoparticle interface-controlled cross-link dynamics. Inspired by the adhesive chemistry in mussel threads, we have incorporated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) into a catechol-modified polymer network to obtain hydrogels cross-linked via reversible metal-coordination bonds at Fe3O4 NP surfaces. Unique material mechanics result from the supra-molecular cross-link structure dynamics in the gels; in contrast to the previously reported fluid-like dynamics of transient catechol-Fe(3+) cross-links, the catechol-Fe3O4 NP structures provide solid-like yet reversible hydrogel mechanics. The structurally controlled hierarchical mechanics presented here suggest how to develop hydrogels with remote-controlled self-healing dynamics.

Biomimetic microsensors inspired by marine life

CERN Document Server

Kottapalli, Ajay Giri Prakash; Miao, Jianmin; Triantafyllou, Michael S

2017-01-01

This book narrates the development of various biomimetic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors, such as pressure, flow, acceleration, chemical, and tactile sensors, that are inspired by sensing phenomenon that exist in marine life. The research described in this book is multi-faceted and combines the expertise and understanding from diverse fields, including biomimetics, microfabrication, sensor engineering, MEMS design, nanotechnology, and material science. A series of chapters examine the design and fabrication of MEMS sensors that function on piezoresistive, piezoelectric, strain gauge, and chemical sensing principles. By translating nature-based engineering solutions to artificial manmade technology, we could find innovative solutions to critical problems.

Flectofin: a hingeless flapping mechanism inspired by nature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lienhard, J; Schleicher, S; Knippers, J; Poppinga, S; Masselter, T; Milwich, M; Speck, T

2011-01-01

This paper presents a novel biomimetic approach to the kinematics of deployable systems for architectural purposes. Elastic deformation of the entire structure replaces the need for local hinges. This change becomes possible by using fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) such as glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) that can combine high tensile strength with low bending stiffness, thus offering a large range of calibrated elastic deformations. The employment of elasticity within a structure facilitates not only the generation of complex geometries, but also takes the design space a step further by creating elastic kinetic structures, here referred to as pliable structures. In this paper, the authors give an insight into the abstraction strategies used to derive elastic kinetics from plants, which show a clear interrelation of form, actuation and kinematics. Thereby, the focus will be on form-finding and simulation methods which have been adopted to generate a biomimetic principle which is patented under the name Flectofin®. This bio inspired hingeless flapping device is inspired by the valvular pollination mechanism that was derived and abstracted from the kinematics found in the Bird-Of-Paradise flower (Strelitzia reginae, Strelitziaceae).

Flectofin: a hingeless flapping mechanism inspired by nature.

Science.gov (United States)

Lienhard, J; Schleicher, S; Poppinga, S; Masselter, T; Milwich, M; Speck, T; Knippers, J

2011-12-01

This paper presents a novel biomimetic approach to the kinematics of deployable systems for architectural purposes. Elastic deformation of the entire structure replaces the need for local hinges. This change becomes possible by using fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) such as glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) that can combine high tensile strength with low bending stiffness, thus offering a large range of calibrated elastic deformations. The employment of elasticity within a structure facilitates not only the generation of complex geometries, but also takes the design space a step further by creating elastic kinetic structures, here referred to as pliable structures. In this paper, the authors give an insight into the abstraction strategies used to derive elastic kinetics from plants, which show a clear interrelation of form, actuation and kinematics. Thereby, the focus will be on form-finding and simulation methods which have been adopted to generate a biomimetic principle which is patented under the name Flectofin®. This bio inspired hingeless flapping device is inspired by the valvular pollination mechanism that was derived and abstracted from the kinematics found in the Bird-Of-Paradise flower (Strelitzia reginae, Strelitziaceae).

First controlled vertical flight of a biologically inspired microrobot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-Arancibia, Nestor O; Ma, Kevin Y; Greenberg, Jack D; Wood, Robert J [School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Galloway, Kevin C, E-mail: nperez@seas.harvard.edu, E-mail: kevinma@seas.harvard.edu, E-mail: kevin.galloway@wyss.harvard.edu, E-mail: jdgreenb@seas.harvard.edu, E-mail: rjwood@eecs.harvard.edu [Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115 (United States)

2011-09-15

In this paper, we present experimental results on altitude control of a flying microrobot. The problem is approached in two stages. In the first stage, system identification of two relevant subsystems composing the microrobot is performed, using a static flapping experimental setup. In the second stage, the information gathered through the static flapping experiments is employed to design the controller used in vertical flight. The design of the proposed controller relies on the idea of treating an exciting signal as a subsystem of the microrobot. The methods and results presented here are a key step toward achieving total autonomy of bio-inspired flying microrobots.

First controlled vertical flight of a biologically inspired microrobot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez-Arancibia, Nestor O; Ma, Kevin Y; Greenberg, Jack D; Wood, Robert J; Galloway, Kevin C

2011-01-01

In this paper, we present experimental results on altitude control of a flying microrobot. The problem is approached in two stages. In the first stage, system identification of two relevant subsystems composing the microrobot is performed, using a static flapping experimental setup. In the second stage, the information gathered through the static flapping experiments is employed to design the controller used in vertical flight. The design of the proposed controller relies on the idea of treating an exciting signal as a subsystem of the microrobot. The methods and results presented here are a key step toward achieving total autonomy of bio-inspired flying microrobots.

The BioMart community portal: an innovative alternative to large, centralized data repositories

Science.gov (United States)

Smedley, Damian; Haider, Syed; Durinck, Steffen; Pandini, Luca; Provero, Paolo; Allen, James; Arnaiz, Olivier; Awedh, Mohammad Hamza; Baldock, Richard; Barbiera, Giulia; Bardou, Philippe; Beck, Tim; Blake, Andrew; Bonierbale, Merideth; Brookes, Anthony J.; Bucci, Gabriele; Buetti, Iwan; Burge, Sarah; Cabau, Cédric; Carlson, Joseph W.; Chelala, Claude; Chrysostomou, Charalambos; Cittaro, Davide; Collin, Olivier; Cordova, Raul; Cutts, Rosalind J.; Dassi, Erik; Genova, Alex Di; Djari, Anis; Esposito, Anthony; Estrella, Heather; Eyras, Eduardo; Fernandez-Banet, Julio; Forbes, Simon; Free, Robert C.; Fujisawa, Takatomo; Gadaleta, Emanuela; Garcia-Manteiga, Jose M.; Goodstein, David; Gray, Kristian; Guerra-Assunção, José Afonso; Haggarty, Bernard; Han, Dong-Jin; Han, Byung Woo; Harris, Todd; Harshbarger, Jayson; Hastings, Robert K.; Hayes, Richard D.; Hoede, Claire; Hu, Shen; Hu, Zhi-Liang; Hutchins, Lucie; Kan, Zhengyan; Kawaji, Hideya; Keliet, Aminah; Kerhornou, Arnaud; Kim, Sunghoon; Kinsella, Rhoda; Klopp, Christophe; Kong, Lei; Lawson, Daniel; Lazarevic, Dejan; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Letellier, Thomas; Li, Chuan-Yun; Lio, Pietro; Liu, Chu-Jun; Luo, Jie; Maass, Alejandro; Mariette, Jerome; Maurel, Thomas; Merella, Stefania; Mohamed, Azza Mostafa; Moreews, Francois; Nabihoudine, Ibounyamine; Ndegwa, Nelson; Noirot, Céline; Perez-Llamas, Cristian; Primig, Michael; Quattrone, Alessandro; Quesneville, Hadi; Rambaldi, Davide; Reecy, James; Riba, Michela; Rosanoff, Steven; Saddiq, Amna Ali; Salas, Elisa; Sallou, Olivier; Shepherd, Rebecca; Simon, Reinhard; Sperling, Linda; Spooner, William; Staines, Daniel M.; Steinbach, Delphine; Stone, Kevin; Stupka, Elia; Teague, Jon W.; Dayem Ullah, Abu Z.; Wang, Jun; Ware, Doreen; Wong-Erasmus, Marie; Youens-Clark, Ken; Zadissa, Amonida; Zhang, Shi-Jian; Kasprzyk, Arek

2015-01-01

The BioMart Community Portal (www.biomart.org) is a community-driven effort to provide a unified interface to biomedical databases that are distributed worldwide. The portal provides access to numerous database projects supported by 30 scientific organizations. It includes over 800 different biological datasets spanning genomics, proteomics, model organisms, cancer data, ontology information and more. All resources available through the portal are independently administered and funded by their host organizations. The BioMart data federation technology provides a unified interface to all the available data. The latest version of the portal comes with many new databases that have been created by our ever-growing community. It also comes with better support and extensibility for data analysis and visualization tools. A new addition to our toolbox, the enrichment analysis tool is now accessible through graphical and web service interface. The BioMart community portal averages over one million requests per day. Building on this level of service and the wealth of information that has become available, the BioMart Community Portal has introduced a new, more scalable and cheaper alternative to the large data stores maintained by specialized organizations. PMID:25897122

Handbook of nature-inspired and innovative computing integrating classical models with emerging technologies

CERN Document Server

2006-01-01

As computing devices proliferate, demand increases for an understanding of emerging computing paradigms and models based on natural phenomena. This handbook explores the connection between nature-inspired and traditional computational paradigms. It presents computing paradigms and models based on natural phenomena.

Development and testing of bio-inspired microelectromechanical pressure sensor arrays for increased situational awareness for marine vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dusek, J; Triantafyllou, M S; Kottapalli, A G P; Asadnia, M; Miao, J; Woo, M E; Lang, J H

2013-01-01

The lateral line found on most species of fish is a sensory organ without analog in humans. Using sensory feedback from the lateral line, fish are able to track prey, school, avoid obstacles, and detect vortical flow structures. Composed of both a superficial component, and a component contained within canals beneath the fish’s skin, the lateral line acts in a similar fashion to an array of differential pressure sensors. In an effort to enhance the situational and environmental awareness of marine vehicles, lateral-line-inspired pressure sensor arrays were developed to mimic the enhanced sensory capabilities observed in fish. Three flexible and waterproof pressure sensor arrays were fabricated for use as a surface-mounted ‘smart skin’ on marine vehicles. Two of the sensor arrays were based around the use of commercially available piezoresistive sensor dies, with innovative packaging schemes to allow for flexibility and underwater operation. The sensor arrays employed liquid crystal polymer and flexible printed circuit board substrates with metallic circuits and silicone encapsulation. The third sensor array employed a novel nanocomposite material set that allowed for the fabrication of a completely flexible sensor array. All three sensors were surface mounted on the curved hull of an autonomous kayak vehicle, and tested in both pool and reservoir environments. Results demonstrated that all three sensors were operational while deployed on the autonomous vehicle, and provided an accurate means for monitoring the vehicle dynamics. (paper)

Bio-inspired step-climbing in a hexapod robot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Ya-Cheng; Yu, Wei-Shun; Huang, Ke-Jung; Lin, Pei-Chun

2012-01-01

Inspired by the observation that the cockroach changes from a tripod gait to a different gait for climbing high steps, we report on the design and implementation of a novel, fully autonomous step-climbing maneuver, which enables a RHex-style hexapod robot to reliably climb a step up to 230% higher than the length of its leg. Similar to the climbing strategy most used by cockroaches, the proposed maneuver is composed of two stages. The first stage is the ‘rearing stage,’ inclining the body so the front side of the body is raised and it is easier for the front legs to catch the top of the step, followed by the ‘rising stage,’ maneuvering the body's center of mass to the top of the step. Two infrared range sensors are installed on the front of the robot to detect the presence of the step and its orientation relative to the robot's heading, so that the robot can perform automatic gait transition, from walking to step-climbing, as well as correct its initial tilt approaching posture. An inclinometer is utilized to measure body inclination and to compute step height, thus enabling the robot to adjust its gait automatically, in real time, and to climb steps of different heights and depths successfully. The algorithm is applicable for the robot to climb various rectangular obstacles, including a narrow bar, a bar and a step (i.e. a bar of infinite width). The performance of the algorithm is evaluated experimentally, and the comparison of climbing strategies and climbing behaviors in biological and robotic systems is discussed. (paper)

Conceptualizations on Innovation Competency in a Problem- and Project-Based Learning Curriculum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Fenzhi; Kolmos, Anette; de Graaff, Erik

2013-01-01

Understanding innovation competency is the first step in fostering innovative engineers as conceptualizations can both enhance and inhibit innovative behaviors. Though literature is replete with discussions on conceptualizing innovation competency, there is much disagreement regarding its concepts...... identified by analyzing the narratives of interviewees and coding the transcriptions into pre-prepared categories, based on the theoretical framework inspired by activity theory. The analysis of empirical data indicates a collaborative nature of innovation competency in the PBL curriculum; emphasizes...

Determinants of adoption of vitamin A bio-fortified cassava variety among farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. O. Ologunde

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The success of any agricultural innovation depends on its adoption by farmers. The study evaluates the determinants of adoption of vitamin A bio-fortified cassava variety among farmers by investigating the level of adoption and determinants of adoption among farmers. Three stages of random sampling procedure were used to select 240 cassava farmers. The data obtained were analyzed with descriptive statistics and a logit regression model. The study revealed that the level of adoption of vitamin A bio-fortified cassava variety is low (38.72%. The study also revealed that access to media, contact with extension agents, access to vitamin A bio-fortified cassava stem, amongst others, are the determinants of adoption of vitamin A bio-fortified cassava variety in the study area. It is therefore recommended that awareness about the new cassava technology should be prioritized to sensitize the farmers, and stems of these cassava varieties should be readily made available to farmers to take advantage of the benefit of the innovation.

Inspired Responses

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Carol Frederick

2011-01-01

In terms of teacher quality, Steele believes the best teachers have reached a stage she terms inspired, and that teachers move progressively through the stages of unaware, aware, and capable until the most reflective teachers finally reach the inspired level. Inspired teachers have a wide repertoire of teaching and class management techniques and…

Heterogeneous Deformable Modeling of Bio-Tissues and Haptic Force Rendering for Bio-Object Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shiyong; Lee, Yuan-Shin; Narayan, Roger J.

This paper presents a novel technique for modeling soft biological tissues as well as the development of an innovative interface for bio-manufacturing and medical applications. Heterogeneous deformable models may be used to represent the actual internal structures of deformable biological objects, which possess multiple components and nonuniform material properties. Both heterogeneous deformable object modeling and accurate haptic rendering can greatly enhance the realism and fidelity of virtual reality environments. In this paper, a tri-ray node snapping algorithm is proposed to generate a volumetric heterogeneous deformable model from a set of object interface surfaces between different materials. A constrained local static integration method is presented for simulating deformation and accurate force feedback based on the material properties of a heterogeneous structure. Biological soft tissue modeling is used as an example to demonstrate the proposed techniques. By integrating the heterogeneous deformable model into a virtual environment, users can both observe different materials inside a deformable object as well as interact with it by touching the deformable object using a haptic device. The presented techniques can be used for surgical simulation, bio-product design, bio-manufacturing, and medical applications.

Sectoral innovation foresight: Sector development at the Danish Technical University

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Allan Dahl

2012-01-01

In this working paper I will propose a specific integration between the academic areas of foresight and of innovation-system research based on the concept of interactive learning. I will argue that foresight focused on stimulating innovation can use the innovation-system framework as its main...... their activities can better be characterized as science foresight or technology foresight based on the rationale of the linear model of innovation without a systemic understanding of innovation....... theoretical underpinning with benefit. On the basis of literature reviews of innovation studies and foresight research I identify co-evolving patterns of change over time. These patterns have inspired me to, maybe foolishly, propose the term ‘innovation foresight’ to describe explicit innovation system...

Invisible Success: Problems with the Grand Technological Innovation in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Whitworth, Andrew

2012-01-01

This paper investigates a "grand" educational technology innovation through theoretical lenses inspired by Cervero and Wilson's (1994, 1998) work. Through taking this approach it is possible to show how ideas about the form of the innovation and perceptions of its ultimate "success" or "failure", varied between stakeholder groups. The project was…

Bio-Based Adhesives and Evaluation for Wood Composites Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Ferdosian

2017-02-01

Full Text Available There has been a rapid growth in research and innovation of bio-based adhesives in the engineered wood product industry. This article reviews the recent research published over the last few decades on the synthesis of bio-adhesives derived from such renewable resources as lignin, starch, and plant proteins. The chemical structure of these biopolymers is described and discussed to highlight the active functional groups that are used in the synthesis of bio-adhesives. The potentials and drawbacks of each biomass are then discussed in detail; some methods have been suggested to modify their chemical structures and to improve their properties including water resistance and bonding strength for their ultimate application as wood adhesives. Moreover, this article includes discussion of techniques commonly used for evaluating the petroleum-based wood adhesives in terms of mechanical properties and penetration behavior, which are expected to be more widely applied to bio-based wood adhesives to better evaluate their prospect for wood composites application.

Actions, Observations, and Decision-Making: Biologically Inspired Strategies for Autonomous Aerial Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Pisanich, Greg; Ippolito, Corey; Plice, Laura; Young, Larry A.; Lau, Benton

2003-01-01

This paper details the development and demonstration of an autonomous aerial vehicle embodying search and find mission planning and execution srrategies inspired by foraging behaviors found in biology. It begins by describing key characteristics required by an aeria! explorer to support science and planetary exploration goals, and illustrates these through a hypothetical mission profile. It next outlines a conceptual bio- inspired search and find autonomy architecture that implements observations, decisions, and actions through an "ecology" of producer, consumer, and decomposer agents. Moving from concepts to development activities, it then presents the results of mission representative UAV aerial surveys at a Mars analog site. It next describes hardware and software enhancements made to a commercial small fixed-wing UAV system, which inc!nde a ncw dpvelopnent architecture that also provides hardware in the loop simulation capability. After presenting the results of simulated and actual flights of bioinspired flight algorithms, it concludes with a discussion of future development to include an expansion of system capabilities and field science support.

Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking: The catalyst for sustainable bio-based economic growth in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Mengal, Philippe; Wubbolts, Marcel; Zika, Eleni; Ruiz, Ana; Brigitta, Dieter; Pieniadz, Agata; Black, Sarah

2018-01-25

This article discusses the preparation, structure and objectives of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU). BBI JU is a public-private partnership (PPP) between the European Commission (EC) and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), the industry-led private not-for-profit organisation representing the private sectors across the bio-based industries. The model of the public-private partnership has been successful as a new approach to supporting research and innovation and de-risking investment in Europe. The BBI JU became a reality in 2014 and represents the largest industrial and economic cooperation endeavour financially ever undertaken in Europe in the area of industrial biotechnologies. It is considered to be one of the most forward-looking initiatives under Horizon 2020 and demonstrates the circular economy in action. The BBI JU will be the catalyst for this strategy to mobilise actors across Europe including large industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), all types of research organisations, networks and universities. It will support regions and in doing so, the European Union Member States and associated countries in the implementation of their bioeconomy strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The hybrid bio-inspired aerial vehicle: Concept and SIMSCAPE flight simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao Zhang; Su, Steven; Nguyen, Hung T

2016-08-01

This paper introduces a Silver Gull-inspired hybrid aerial vehicle, the Super Sydney Silver Gull (SSSG), which is able to vary its structure, under different manoeuvre requirements, to implement three flight modes: the flapping wing flight, the fixed wing flight, and the quadcopter flight (the rotary wing flight of Unmanned Air Vehicle). Specifically, through proper mechanism design and flight mode transition, the SSSG can imitate the Silver Gull's flight gesture during flapping flight, save power consuming by switching to the fixed wing flight mode during long-range cruising, and hover at targeted area when transferring to quadcopter flight mode. Based on the aerodynamic models, the Simscape, a product of MathWorks, is used to simulate and analyse the performance of the SSSG's flight modes. The entity simulation results indicate that the created SSSG's 3D model is feasible and ready to be manufactured for further flight tests.

Recirculation: A New Concept to Drive Innovation in Sustainable Product Design for Bio-Based Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherwood, James; Clark, James H; Farmer, Thomas J; Herrero-Davila, Lorenzo; Moity, Laurianne

2016-12-29

Bio-based products are made from renewable materials, offering a promising basis for the production of sustainable chemicals, materials, and more complex articles. However, biomass is not a limitless resource or one without environmental and social impacts. Therefore, while it is important to use biomass and grow a bio-based economy, displacing the unsustainable petroleum basis of energy and chemical production, any resource must be used effectively to reduce waste. Standards have been developed to support the bio-based product market in order to achieve this aim. However, the design of bio-based products has not received the same level of attention. Reported here are the first steps towards the development of a framework of understanding which connects product design to resource efficiency. Research and development scientists and engineers are encouraged to think beyond simple functionality and associate value to the potential of materials in their primary use and beyond.

Experience Innovation for Small Food and Tourism Firms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksen, Safania Normann

2015-01-01

This article focuses on experience innovation as a means to create value for small food and tourism firms in rural areas. Innovation is viewed as an essential part of experience staging. However, research on innovation in the experience economy literature constitutes an immature field of study...... that requires further investigation. The article seeks to address this gap by investigating how small food and tourism firms can enhance experience innovation. The research approach is a qualitative experimental design. Methods for collecting empirical material consist of observations, semi......-structured interviews, and documents. The main contribution is a three-phased model that can inspire small food and tourism firms to generate, select, and develop new ideas for experience innovation that are aligned with their capabilities, experience DNA, and available resources....

Action Design Research for Social Innovation: Lessons from Designing a Health and Wellbeing Platform

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Reuver, G.A.; Keijzer-Broers, W.J.W.

2016-01-01

IT artifacts play an important role in solving societal problems and realizing social innovations. Existing practice-inspired design science research (DSR) approaches, such as Action Design Research (ADR), do not consider social innovation as an explicit starting point for design iterations. In this

Self-assembly of micro- and nano-scale particles using bio-inspired events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNally, H.; Pingle, M.; Lee, S.W.; Guo, D.; Bergstrom, D.E.; Bashir, R.

2003-01-01

High sensitivity chemical and biological detection techniques and the development of future electronic systems can greatly benefit from self-assembly processes and techniques. We have approached this challenge using biologically inspired events such as the hybridization of single (ss)- to double-stranded (ds) DNA and the strong affinity between the protein avidin and its associated Vitamin, biotin. Using these molecules, micro-scale polystyrene beads and nano-scale gold particles were assembled with high efficiency on gold patterns and the procedures used for these processes were optimized. The DNA and avidin-biotin complex was also used to demonstrate the attachment of micro-scale silicon islands to each other in a fluid. This work also provides insight into the techniques for the self-assembly of heterogeneous materials

A smart magnetic nanoplatform for synergistic anticancer therapy: manoeuvring mussel-inspired functional magnetic nanoparticles for pH responsive anticancer drug delivery and hyperthermia

Science.gov (United States)

Sasikala, Arathyram Ramachandra Kurup; Ghavaminejad, Amin; Unnithan, Afeesh Rajan; Thomas, Reju George; Moon, Myeongju; Jeong, Yong Yeon; Park, Chan Hee; Kim, Cheol Sang

2015-10-01

We report the versatile design of a smart nanoplatform for thermo-chemotherapy treatment of cancer. For the first time in the literature, our design takes advantage of the outstanding properties of mussel-inspired multiple catecholic groups - presenting a unique copolymer poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-dopamine methacrylamide) p(HEMA-co-DMA) to surface functionalize the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as well as to conjugate borate containing anticancer drug bortezomib (BTZ) in a pH-dependent manner for the synergistic anticancer treatment. The unique multiple anchoring groups can be used to substantially improve the affinity of the ligands to the surfaces of the nanoparticles to form ultrastable iron oxide nanoparticles with control over their hydrodynamic diameter and interfacial chemistry. Thus the BTZ-incorporated-bio-inspired-smart magnetic nanoplatform will act as a hyperthermic agent that delivers heat when an alternating magnetic field is applied while the BTZ-bound catechol moieties act as chemotherapeutic agents in a cancer environment by providing pH-dependent drug release for the synergistic thermo-chemotherapy application. The anticancer efficacy of these bio-inspired multifunctional smart magnetic nanoparticles was tested both in vitro and in vivo and found that these unique magnetic nanoplatforms can be established to endow for the next generation of nanomedicine for efficient and safe cancer therapy.We report the versatile design of a smart nanoplatform for thermo-chemotherapy treatment of cancer. For the first time in the literature, our design takes advantage of the outstanding properties of mussel-inspired multiple catecholic groups - presenting a unique copolymer poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-dopamine methacrylamide) p(HEMA-co-DMA) to surface functionalize the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as well as to conjugate borate containing anticancer drug bortezomib (BTZ) in a pH-dependent manner for the synergistic

Retina-Inspired Filter.

Science.gov (United States)

Doutsi, Effrosyni; Fillatre, Lionel; Antonini, Marc; Gaulmin, Julien

2018-07-01

This paper introduces a novel filter, which is inspired by the human retina. The human retina consists of three different layers: the Outer Plexiform Layer (OPL), the inner plexiform layer, and the ganglionic layer. Our inspiration is the linear transform which takes place in the OPL and has been mathematically described by the neuroscientific model "virtual retina." This model is the cornerstone to derive the non-separable spatio-temporal OPL retina-inspired filter, briefly renamed retina-inspired filter, studied in this paper. This filter is connected to the dynamic behavior of the retina, which enables the retina to increase the sharpness of the visual stimulus during filtering before its transmission to the brain. We establish that this retina-inspired transform forms a group of spatio-temporal Weighted Difference of Gaussian (WDoG) filters when it is applied to a still image visible for a given time. We analyze the spatial frequency bandwidth of the retina-inspired filter with respect to time. It is shown that the WDoG spectrum varies from a lowpass filter to a bandpass filter. Therefore, while time increases, the retina-inspired filter enables to extract different kinds of information from the input image. Finally, we discuss the benefits of using the retina-inspired filter in image processing applications such as edge detection and compression.

Bio energy: Bio fuel - Properties and Production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilhelmsen, Gunnar; Martinsen, Arnold Kyrre; Sandberg, Eiliv; Fladset, Per Olav; Kjerschow, Einar; Teslo, Einar

2001-01-01

This is Chapter 3 of the book ''Bio energy - Environment, technique and market''. Its main sections are: (1) Definitions and properties, (2) Bio fuel from the forest, (3) Processed bio fuel - briquettes, pellets and powder, (4) Bio fuel from agriculture, (5) Bio fuel from agro industry, (6) Bio fuel from lakes and sea, (7) Bio fuel from aquaculture, (8) Bio fuel from wastes and (9) Hydrogen as a fuel. The exposition largely describes the conditions in Norway. The chapter on energy from the forest includes products from the timber and sawmill industry, the pulp and paper industry, furniture factories etc. Among agricultural sources are straw, energy forests, vegetable oil, bio ethanol, manure

Flow Interactions of Two- and Three-Dimensional Networked Bio-Inspired Control Elements in an In-Line Arrangement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurt, Melike; Moored, Keith

2018-04-19

-dimensions. These results can aid in the design of networked bio-inspired control elements that through integrated sensing can synchronize to three-dimensional flow interactions. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Spontaneous Strategies in Innovation Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plesner, Ursula; Husted, Emil Krastrup

To date, a fairly large amount of research has explored how social and organizational processes function and change ‘inside’ virtual spaces. In this article, add to the literature dismantling the longstanding dichotomy between the virtual world and the real world, by analyzing the importance...... of materiality in relation to the organization and structuring of virtual worlds. We examine various innovation processes in five Danish entrepreneurial companies where actors continuously struggle to stabilize virtual worlds as platforms for professional communication. With inspiration from actor-network theory...... and a site ontology, we show how physical sites and objects become constitutive of the inside of virtual worlds through innovation processes. This argument is in line with ANT’s perspective on strategy, where sites and objects are considered a strategically relevant resource in the innovation process...

Mastering multi-depth bio-chip patterns with DVD LBRs

Science.gov (United States)

Carson, Doug

2017-08-01

Bio chip and bio disc are rapidly growing technologies used in medical, health and other industries. While there are numerous unique designs and features, these products all rely on precise three-dimensional micro-fluidic channels or arrays to move, separate and combine samples under test. These bio chip and bio disc consumables are typically manufactured by molding these parts to a precise three-dimensional pattern on a negative metal stamper, or they can be made in smaller quantities using an appropriate curable resin and a negative mold/stamper. Stampers required for bio chips have been traditionally made using either micro machining or XY stepping lithography. Both of these technologies have their advantages as well as limitations when it comes to creating micro-fluidic patterns. Significant breakthroughs in continuous maskless lithography have enabled accurate and efficient manufacturing of micro-fluidic masters using LBRs (Laser Beam Recorders) and DRIE (Deep Reactive Ion Etching). The important advantages of LBR continuous lithography vs. XY stepping lithography and micro machining are speed and cost. LBR based continuous lithography is >100x faster than XY stepping lithography and more accurate than micro machining. Several innovations were required in order to create multi-depth patterns with sub micron accuracy. By combining proven industrial LBRs with DCA's G3-VIA pattern generator and DRIE, three-dimensional bio chip masters and stampers are being manufactured efficiently and accurately.

Direct fabrication of bio-inspired gecko-like geometries with vat polymerization additive manufacturing method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Davoudinejad, A.; M. Ribo, M.; Pedersen, D. B.

2018-01-01

on. The geometry and fabrication of these surfaces are still under research. In this study, the feasibility of using direct fabrication of microscale features by Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes was investigated. The investigation was carried out using a specifically designed vat...... photopolymerization AM machine-tool suitable for precision manufacturing at the micro dimensional scale which has previously been developed, built and validated at the Technical University of Denmark. It was shown that it was possible to replicate a simplified surface inspired by the Tokay gecko, the geometry...

Engineering BioBrick vectors from BioBrick parts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Knight Thomas F

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The underlying goal of synthetic biology is to make the process of engineering biological systems easier. Recent work has focused on defining and developing standard biological parts. The technical standard that has gained the most traction in the synthetic biology community is the BioBrick standard for physical composition of genetic parts. Parts that conform to the BioBrick assembly standard are BioBrick standard biological parts. To date, over 2,000 BioBrick parts have been contributed to, and are available from, the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Results Here we extended the same advantages of BioBrick standard biological parts to the plasmid-based vectors that are used to provide and propagate BioBrick parts. We developed a process for engineering BioBrick vectors from BioBrick parts. We designed a new set of BioBrick parts that encode many useful vector functions. We combined the new parts to make a BioBrick base vector that facilitates BioBrick vector construction. We demonstrated the utility of the process by constructing seven new BioBrick vectors. We also successfully used the resulting vectors to assemble and propagate other BioBrick standard biological parts. Conclusion We extended the principles of part reuse and standardization to BioBrick vectors. As a result, myriad new BioBrick vectors can be readily produced from all existing and newly designed BioBrick parts. We invite the synthetic biology community to (1 use the process to make and share new BioBrick vectors; (2 expand the current collection of BioBrick vector parts; and (3 characterize and improve the available collection of BioBrick vector parts.

A bio-inspired swellable microneedle adhesive for mechanical interlocking with tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Seung Yun; O'Cearbhaill, Eoin D.; Sisk, Geoffroy C.; Park, Kyeng Min; Cho, Woo Kyung; Villiger, Martin; Bouma, Brett E.; Pomahac, Bohdan; Karp, Jeffrey M.

2013-04-01

Achieving significant adhesion to soft tissues while minimizing tissue damage poses a considerable clinical challenge. Chemical-based adhesives require tissue-specific reactive chemistry, typically inducing a significant inflammatory response. Staples are fraught with limitations including high-localized tissue stress and increased risk of infection, and nerve and blood vessel damage. Here inspired by the endoparasite Pomphorhynchus laevis, which swells its proboscis to attach to its host’s intestinal wall, we have developed a biphasic microneedle array that mechanically interlocks with tissue through swellable microneedle tips, achieving ~3.5-fold increase in adhesion strength compared with staples in skin graft fixation, and removal force of ~4.5 N cm-2 from intestinal mucosal tissue. Comprising a poly(styrene)-block-poly(acrylic acid) swellable tip and non-swellable polystyrene core, conical microneedles penetrate tissue with minimal insertion force and depth, yet high adhesion strength in their swollen state. Uniquely, this design provides universal soft tissue adhesion with minimal damage, less traumatic removal, reduced risk of infection and delivery of bioactive therapeutics.

Accelerating Inspire

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2266999

2017-01-01

CERN has been involved in the dissemination of scientific results since its early days and has continuously updated the distribution channels. Currently, Inspire hosts catalogues of articles, authors, institutions, conferences, jobs, experiments, journals and more. Successful orientation among this amount of data requires comprehensive linking between the content. Inspire has lacked a system for linking experiments and articles together based on which accelerator they were conducted at. The purpose of this project has been to create such a system. Records for 156 accelerators were created and all 2913 experiments on Inspire were given corresponding MARC tags. Records of 18404 accelerator physics related bibliographic entries were also tagged with corresponding accelerator tags. Finally, as a part of the endeavour to broaden CERN's presence on Wikipedia, existing Wikipedia articles of accelerators were updated with short descriptions and links to Inspire. In total, 86 Wikipedia articles were updated. This repo...

Laser-Sintered Constructs with Bio-inspired Porosity and Surface Micro/Nano-Roughness Enhance Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation and Matrix Mineralization In Vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Alice; Cohen, David J; Boyan, Barbara D; Schwartz, Zvi

2016-12-01

Direct metal laser sintering can produce porous Ti-6Al-4V orthopedic and dental implants. The process requires reduced resources and time and can provide greater structural control than machine manufacturing. Implants in bone are colonized by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can differentiate into osteoblasts and contribute to osseointegration. This study examined osteoblast differentiation and matrix mineralization of human MSCs cultured on laser-sintered Ti-6Al-4V constructs with varying porosity and at different time scales. 2D solid disks and low, medium and high porosity (LP, MP, and HP) 3D constructs based on a human trabecular bone template were laser sintered from Ti-6Al-4V powder and further processed to have micro- and nanoscale roughness. hMSCs exhibited greater osteoblastic differentiation and local factor production on all 3D porous constructs compared to 2D surfaces, which was sustained for 9 days without use of exogenous factors. hMSCs cultured for 8 weeks on MP constructs in osteogenic medium (OM), OM supplemented with BMP2 or collagen-coated MP constructs in OM exhibited bone-like extracellular matrix mineralization. Use of bio-inspired porosity for the 3D architecture of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V enhanced osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs beyond surface roughness alone. This study suggests that a 3D architecture may enhance the osseointegration of orthopedic and dental implants in vivo.

On the Idea of a New Artificial Intelligence Based Optimization Algorithm Inspired From the Nature of Vortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Utku Kose

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the idea of a new artificial intelligence based optimization algorithm, which is inspired from the nature of vortex, has been provided briefly. As also a bio-inspired computation algorithm, the idea is generally focused on a typical vortex flow / behavior in nature and inspires from some dynamics that are occurred in the sense of vortex nature. Briefly, the algorithm is also a swarm-oriented evolutional problem solution approach; because it includes many methods related to elimination of weak swarm members and trying to improve the solution process by supporting the solution space via new swarm members. In order have better idea about success of the algorithm; it has been tested via some benchmark functions. At this point, the obtained results show that the algorithm can be an alternative to the literature in terms of single-objective optimizationsolution ways. Vortex Optimization Algorithm (VOA is the name suggestion by the authors; for this new idea of intelligent optimization approach.

Characterization and prediction of the backscattered form function of an immersed cylindrical shell using hybrid fuzzy clustering and bio-inspired algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Agounad, Said; Aassif, El Houcein; Khandouch, Younes; Maze, Gérard; Décultot, Dominique

2018-02-01

The acoustic scattering of a plane wave by an elastic cylindrical shell is studied. A new approach is developed to predict the form function of an immersed cylindrical shell of the radius ratio b/a ('b' is the inner radius and 'a' is the outer radius). The prediction of the backscattered form function is investigated by a combined approach between fuzzy clustering algorithms and bio-inspired algorithms. Four famous fuzzy clustering algorithms: the fuzzy c-means (FCM), the Gustafson-Kessel algorithm (GK), the fuzzy c-regression model (FCRM) and the Gath-Geva algorithm (GG) are combined with particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm. The symmetric and antisymmetric circumferential waves A, S 0 , A 1 , S 1 and S 2 are investigated in a reduced frequency (k 1 a) range extends over 0.1

Opportunities for Bio-Based Solvents Created as Petrochemical and Fuel Products Transition towards Renewable Resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, James H; Farmer, Thomas J; Hunt, Andrew J; Sherwood, James

2015-07-28

The global bio-based chemical market is growing in size and importance. Bio-based solvents such as glycerol and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran are often discussed as important introductions to the conventional repertoire of solvents. However adoption of new innovations by industry is typically slow. Therefore it might be anticipated that neoteric solvent systems (e.g., ionic liquids) will remain niche, while renewable routes to historically established solvents will continue to grow in importance. This review discusses bio-based solvents from the perspective of their production, identifying suitable feedstocks, platform molecules, and relevant product streams for the sustainable manufacturing of conventional solvents.

Opportunities for Bio-Based Solvents Created as Petrochemical and Fuel Products Transition towards Renewable Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, James H.; Farmer, Thomas J.; Hunt, Andrew J.; Sherwood, James

2015-01-01

The global bio-based chemical market is growing in size and importance. Bio-based solvents such as glycerol and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran are often discussed as important introductions to the conventional repertoire of solvents. However adoption of new innovations by industry is typically slow. Therefore it might be anticipated that neoteric solvent systems (e.g., ionic liquids) will remain niche, while renewable routes to historically established solvents will continue to grow in importance. This review discusses bio-based solvents from the perspective of their production, identifying suitable feedstocks, platform molecules, and relevant product streams for the sustainable manufacturing of conventional solvents. PMID:26225963

Physicists Get INSPIREd: INSPIRE Project and Grid Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klem, Jukka; Iwaszkiewicz, Jan

2011-01-01

INSPIRE is the new high-energy physics scientific information system developed by CERN, DESY, Fermilab and SLAC. INSPIRE combines the curated and trusted contents of SPIRES database with Invenio digital library technology. INSPIRE contains the entire HEP literature with about one million records and in addition to becoming the reference HEP scientific information platform, it aims to provide new kinds of data mining services and metrics to assess the impact of articles and authors. Grid and cloud computing provide new opportunities to offer better services in areas that require large CPU and storage resources including document Optical Character Recognition (OCR) processing, full-text indexing of articles and improved metrics. D4Science-II is a European project that develops and operates an e-Infrastructure supporting Virtual Research Environments (VREs). It develops an enabling technology (gCube) which implements a mechanism for facilitating the interoperation of its e-Infrastructure with other autonomously running data e-Infrastructures. As a result, this creates the core of an e-Infrastructure ecosystem. INSPIRE is one of the e-Infrastructures participating in D4Science-II project. In the context of the D4Science-II project, the INSPIRE e-Infrastructure makes available some of its resources and services to other members of the resulting ecosystem. Moreover, it benefits from the ecosystem via a dedicated Virtual Organization giving access to an array of resources ranging from computing and storage resources of grid infrastructures to data and services.

BioCapacitor: A novel principle for biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sode, Koji; Yamazaki, Tomohiko; Lee, Inyoung; Hanashi, Takuya; Tsugawa, Wakako

2016-02-15

Studies regarding biofuel cells utilizing biocatalysts such as enzymes and microorganisms as electrocatalysts have been vigorously conducted over the last two decades. Because of their environmental safety and sustainability, biofuel cells are expected to be used as clean power generators. Among several principles of biofuel cells, enzyme fuel cells have attracted significant attention for their use as alternative energy sources for future implantable devices, such as implantable insulin pumps and glucose sensors in artificial pancreas and pacemakers. However, the inherent issue of the biofuel cell principle is the low power of a single biofuel cell. The theoretical voltage of biofuel cells is limited by the redox potential of cofactors and/or mediators employed in the anode and cathode, which are inadequate for operating any devices used for biomedical application. These limitations inspired us to develop a novel biodevice based on an enzyme fuel cell that generates sufficient stable power to operate electric devices, designated "BioCapacitor." To increase voltage, the enzyme fuel cell is connected to a charge pump. To obtain a sufficient power and voltage to operate an electric device, a capacitor is used to store the potential generated by the charge pump. Using the combination of a charge pump and capacitor with an enzyme fuel cell, high voltages with sufficient temporary currents to operate an electric device were generated without changing the design and construction of the enzyme fuel cell. In this review, the BioCapacitor principle is described. The three different representative categories of biodevices employing the BioCapacitor principle are introduced. Further, the recent challenges in the developments of self-powered stand-alone biodevices employing enzyme fuel cells combined with charge pumps and capacitors are introduced. Finally, the future prospects of biodevices employing the BioCapacitor principle are addressed. Copyright © 2015 The Authors

BrisSynBio: a BBSRC/EPSRC-funded Synthetic Biology Research Centre.

Science.gov (United States)

Sedgley, Kathleen R; Race, Paul R; Woolfson, Derek N

2016-06-15

BrisSynBio is the Bristol-based Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)/Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)-funded Synthetic Biology Research Centre. It is one of six such Centres in the U.K. BrisSynBio's emphasis is on rational and predictive bimolecular modelling, design and engineering in the context of synthetic biology. It trains the next generation of synthetic biologists in these approaches, to facilitate translation of fundamental synthetic biology research to industry and the clinic, and to do this within an innovative and responsible research framework. © 2016 The Author(s).

BATMAV - A Bio-Inspired Micro-Aerial Vehicle for Flapping Flight

Science.gov (United States)

Bunget, Gheorghe

The main objective of the BATMAV project is the development of a biologically-inspired Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) with flexible and foldable wings for flapping flight. While flapping flight in MAV has been previously studied and a number of models were realized they usually had unfoldable wings actuated with DC motors and mechanical transmission to achieve flapping motion. This approach limits the system to a rather small number of degrees of freedom with little flexibility and introduces an additional disadvantage of a heavy flight platform. The BATMAV project aims at the development of a flight platform that features bat-inspired wings with smart materials-based flexible joints and artificial muscles, which has the potential to closely mimic the kinematics of the real mammalian flyer. The bat-like flight platform was selected after an extensive analysis of morphological and aerodynamic flight parameters of small birds, bats and large insects characterized by a superior maneuverability and wind gust rejection. Morphological and aerodynamic parameters were collected from existing literature and compared concluding that bat wing present a suitable platform that can be actuated efficiently using artificial muscles. Due to their wing camber variation, the bat species can operate effectively at a large range of speeds and exhibit a remarkably maneuverable and agile flight. Although numerous studies were recently investigated the flapping flight, flexible and foldable wings that reproduce the natural intricate and efficient flapping motion were not designed yet. A comprehensive analysis of flight styles in bats based on the data collected by Norberg (Norberg, 1976) and the engineering theory of robotic manipulators resulted in a 2 and 3-DOF models which managed to mimic the wingbeat cycle of the natural flyer. The flexible joints of the 2 and 2-DOF models were replicated using smart materials like superelastic Shape Memory Alloys (SMA). The results of these kinematic

User driven innovation in mobile technologies?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Casper Schultz; Koch, Christian

2007-01-01

by systems already in function. Stories of prior business successes can be an important tool to ensure further innovative investments since lack of enterprise strategies is often an obstacle for innovation, especially user driven. Both small and large software houses develops dedicated software for coupling...... technology systems relying on the concept of affordance. This paper examines how innovation processes mediate between user orientations and technology offers. There is a great potential for mobile handheld ICT-systems to support numerous work processes in the AEC-industry and this can be substantiated...... site practises, and headquarters - inspired by specific user needs for optimizing work processes. The most important mechanisms evoked for creating the mediating found in the paper are ‘hybrids’ where professionals from AEC establishes a software house, developing ICT-products for specific on...

16th International Conference on Hybrid Intelligent Systems and the 8th World Congress on Nature and Biologically Inspired Computing

CERN Document Server

Haqiq, Abdelkrim; Alimi, Adel; Mezzour, Ghita; Rokbani, Nizar; Muda, Azah

2017-01-01

This book presents the latest research in hybrid intelligent systems. It includes 57 carefully selected papers from the 16th International Conference on Hybrid Intelligent Systems (HIS 2016) and the 8th World Congress on Nature and Biologically Inspired Computing (NaBIC 2016), held on November 21–23, 2016 in Marrakech, Morocco. HIS - NaBIC 2016 was jointly organized by the Machine Intelligence Research Labs (MIR Labs), USA; Hassan 1st University, Settat, Morocco and University of Sfax, Tunisia. Hybridization of intelligent systems is a promising research field in modern artificial/computational intelligence and is concerned with the development of the next generation of intelligent systems. The conference’s main aim is to inspire further exploration of the intriguing potential of hybrid intelligent systems and bio-inspired computing. As such, the book is a valuable resource for practicing engineers /scientists and researchers working in the field of computational intelligence and artificial intelligence.

An Integrated Open Approach to Capturing Systematic Knowledge for Manufacturing Process Innovation Based on Collective Intelligence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gangfeng Wang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Process innovation plays a vital role in the manufacture realization of increasingly complex new products, especially in the context of sustainable development and cleaner production. Knowledge-based innovation design can inspire designers’ creative thinking; however, the existing scattered knowledge has not yet been properly captured and organized according to Computer-Aided Process Innovation (CAPI. Therefore, this paper proposes an integrated approach to tackle this non-trivial issue. By analyzing the design process of CAPI and technical features of open innovation, a novel holistic paradigm of process innovation knowledge capture based on collective intelligence (PIKC-CI is constructed from the perspective of the knowledge life cycle. Then, a multi-source innovation knowledge fusion algorithm based on semantic elements reconfiguration is applied to form new public knowledge. To ensure the credibility and orderliness of innovation knowledge refinement, a collaborative editing strategy based on knowledge lock and knowledge–social trust degree is explored. Finally, a knowledge management system MPI-OKCS integrating the proposed techniques is implemented into the pre-built CAPI general platform, and a welding process innovation example is provided to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. It is expected that our work would lay the foundation for the future knowledge-inspired CAPI and smart process planning.

Reinventing Higher Education: The Promise of Innovation

Science.gov (United States)

Wildavsky, Ben, Ed.; Kelly, Andrew P., Ed.; Carey, Kevin, Ed.

2011-01-01

The inspiration for this timely book is the pressing need for fresh ideas and innovations in U.S. higher education. At the heart of the volume is the realization that higher education must evolve in fundamental ways if it is to respond to changing professional, economic, and technological circumstances, and if it is to successfully reach and…

Towards a carbon-negative sustainable bio-based economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanholme, Bartel; Desmet, Tom; Ronsse, Frederik; Rabaey, Korneel; Van Breusegem, Frank; De Mey, Marjan; Soetaert, Wim; Boerjan, Wout

2013-01-01

The bio-based economy relies on sustainable, plant-derived resources for fuels, chemicals, materials, food and feed rather than on the evanescent usage of fossil resources. The cornerstone of this economy is the biorefinery, in which renewable resources are intelligently converted to a plethora of products, maximizing the valorization of the feedstocks. Innovation is a prerequisite to move a fossil-based economy toward sustainable alternatives, and the viability of the bio-based economy depends on the integration between plant (green) and industrial (white) biotechnology. Green biotechnology deals with primary production through the improvement of biomass crops, while white biotechnology deals with the conversion of biomass into products and energy. Waste streams are minimized during these processes or partly converted to biogas, which can be used to power the processing pipeline. The sustainability of this economy is guaranteed by a third technology pillar that uses thermochemical conversion to valorize waste streams and fix residual carbon as biochar in the soil, hence creating a carbon-negative cycle. These three different multidisciplinary pillars interact through the value chain of the bio-based economy.

Towards a carbon-negative sustainable bio-based economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bartel eVanholme

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The bio-based economy relies on sustainable, plant-derived resources for fuels, chemicals, materials, food and feed rather than on the evanescent usage of fossil resources. The cornerstone of this economy is the biorefinery, in which renewable resources are intelligently converted to a plethora of products, maximizing the valorization of the feedstocks. Innovation is a prerequisite to move a fossil-based economy towards sustainable alternatives, and the viability of the bio-based economy depends on the integration between plant (green and industrial (white biotechnology. Green biotechnology deals with primary production through the improvement of biomass crops, while white biotechnology deals with the conversion of biomass into products and energy. Waste streams are minimized during these processes or partly converted to biogas, which can be used to power the processing pipeline. The sustainability of this economy is guaranteed by a third technology pillar that uses thermochemical conversion to valorize waste streams and fix residual carbon as biochar in the soil, hence creating a carbon-negative cycle. These three different multidisciplinary pillars interact through the value chain of the bio-based economy.

Towards a carbon-negative sustainable bio-based economy

Science.gov (United States)

Vanholme, Bartel; Desmet, Tom; Ronsse, Frederik; Rabaey, Korneel; Breusegem, Frank Van; Mey, Marjan De; Soetaert, Wim; Boerjan, Wout

2013-01-01

The bio-based economy relies on sustainable, plant-derived resources for fuels, chemicals, materials, food and feed rather than on the evanescent usage of fossil resources. The cornerstone of this economy is the biorefinery, in which renewable resources are intelligently converted to a plethora of products, maximizing the valorization of the feedstocks. Innovation is a prerequisite to move a fossil-based economy toward sustainable alternatives, and the viability of the bio-based economy depends on the integration between plant (green) and industrial (white) biotechnology. Green biotechnology deals with primary production through the improvement of biomass crops, while white biotechnology deals with the conversion of biomass into products and energy. Waste streams are minimized during these processes or partly converted to biogas, which can be used to power the processing pipeline. The sustainability of this economy is guaranteed by a third technology pillar that uses thermochemical conversion to valorize waste streams and fix residual carbon as biochar in the soil, hence creating a carbon-negative cycle. These three different multidisciplinary pillars interact through the value chain of the bio-based economy. PMID:23761802

Agricultural innovation platforms in West Africa: How does strategic institutional entrepreneurship unfold in different value chain contexts?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paassen, van A.; Klerkx, L.W.A.; Adjei-Nsiah, S.; Adu-Acheampong, R.; Ouologuem, B.; Zannou, E.

2014-01-01

Inspired by Innovation System theory, donors promote Innovation Platforms (IP) to enhance collaboration for development. However, the question arises whether this is the best approach to facilitate change. The article presents the experience of an action-research programme (2009-2013) on the value

Agricultural innovation platforms in West Africa: How does strategic institutional entrepreneurship unfold in different value chain contexts?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paassen, van A.; Klerkx, L.W.A.; Adu-Acheampong, R.; Adjei-Nsiah, S.; Zannoue, E.

2014-01-01

Inspired by innovation system theory, donors promote innovation platforms (IPs) to enhance collaboration for development. However, IP practice and impact are diverse: hence the question arises of whether and how IP approaches are able to create institutional change for the benefit of smallholders.

Six aspects to inspirational green roof design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiers, H. [SWA Group, Sausalito, CA (United States)

2004-07-01

Green roofs have been categorized as a technology that is not initially faster, better or cheaper, and may even under perform established products. However, green roofs have features and values that early adopters are ready to experiment with in small markets, thereby creating awareness of the technology. Termed as disruptive technologies, green roofs can become competitive within the mainstream market against established products. The challenge in green roof construction is to find the correct balance between idealistic principles and leading edge design. This paper presented case studies to examine the following 6 aspects of design fundamentals to the creation of inspirational green roofs: the use of colour; experimentation with materials and technology; incorporation of texture, form, and pattern; definition of space; engagement of vistas; and, principles of bio-regionalism. It was concluded that good design is not enough to lead to widespread green roof implementation. It was emphasized that change will occur primarily because of the benefits acquired through implementation. 11 refs., 7 figs.

Description innovative practices for archives and special collections

CERN Document Server

Theimer, Kate

2014-01-01

Description: Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections explores how archives of different sizes and types can enhance the accessibility of their holdings. The book uses eleven case studies to demonstrate innovative ideas that could be transferred into many other settings. Readers can use these as models, sources of inspiration, or starting points for new discussions. The volume will be useful to those working in archives and special collections as well as other cultural heritage organizations, and provides ideas ranging from those that require long-term planning and coordinatio

Tourism innovation in the forestry sector: comparative analysis between Auckland Region (New Zealand) and Trentino (Italy)

OpenAIRE

Notaro S; Paletto A; Piffer M

2012-01-01

Innovation is a primary aspect of economic growth and development and depends on the ability of entrepreneurs to create economic value by introducing new products or services, designing different production processes or rearranging organisational practices. The spreading of innovation is a key element in all economic sectors, including the forestry sector. Four types of innovation can be found in the forestry sector: product innovations (e.g., wood assortments), service innovations (e.g., bio...

Morphological self stabilization of locomotion gaits: illustration on a few examples from bio-inspired locomotion

OpenAIRE

Chevallereau , Christine; Boyer , Frédéric; Porez , Mathieu; Mauny , Johan; Aoustin , Yannick

2017-01-01

International audience; — To a large extent, robotics locomotion can be viewed as cyclic motions, named gaits. Due to the high complexity of the locomotion dynamics, to find the control laws that ensure an expected gait and its stability with respect to external perturbations, is a challenging issue for feedback control. To address this issue, a promising way is to take inspiration from animals that intensively exploit the interactions of the passive degrees of freedom of their body with thei...

Smart Nacre-inspired Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Jingsong; Cheng, Qunfeng

2018-03-15

Nacre-inspired nanocomposites with excellent mechanical properties have achieved remarkable attention in the past decades. The high performance of nacre-inspired nanocomposites is a good basis for the further application of smart devices. Recently, some smart nanocomposites inspired by nacre have demonstrated good mechanical properties as well as effective and stable stimuli-responsive functions. In this Concept, we summarize the recent development of smart nacre-inspired nanocomposites, including 1D fibers, 2D films and 3D bulk nanocomposites, in response to temperature, moisture, light, strain, and so on. We show that diverse smart nanocomposites could be designed by combining various conventional fabrication methods of nacre-inspired nanocomposites with responsive building blocks and interface interactions. The nacre-inspired strategy is versatile for different kinds of smart nanocomposites in extensive applications, such as strain sensors, displays, artificial muscles, robotics, and so on, and may act as an effective roadmap for designing smart nanocomposites in the future. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A locust-inspired miniature jumping robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaitsev, Valentin; Gvirsman, Omer; Ben Hanan, Uri; Weiss, Avi; Ayali, Amir; Kosa, Gabor

2015-11-25

Unmanned ground vehicles are mostly wheeled, tracked, or legged. These locomotion mechanisms have a limited ability to traverse rough terrain and obstacles that are higher than the robot's center of mass. In order to improve the mobility of small robots it is necessary to expand the variety of their motion gaits. Jumping is one of nature's solutions to the challenge of mobility in difficult terrain. The desert locust is the model for the presented bio-inspired design of a jumping mechanism for a small mobile robot. The basic mechanism is similar to that of the semilunar process in the hind legs of the locust, and is based on the cocking of a torsional spring by wrapping a tendon-like wire around the shaft of a miniature motor. In this study we present the jumping mechanism design, and the manufacturing and performance analysis of two demonstrator prototypes. The most advanced jumping robot demonstrator is power autonomous, weighs 23 gr, and is capable of jumping to a height of 3.35 m, covering a distance of 1.37 m.

Kirigami artificial muscles with complex biologically inspired morphologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sareh, Sina; Rossiter, Jonathan

2013-01-01

In this paper we present bio-inspired smart structures which exploit the actuation of flexible ionic polymer composites and the kirigami design principle. Kirigami design is used to convert planar actuators into active 3D structures capable of large out-of-plane displacement and that replicate biological mechanisms. Here we present the burstbot, a fluid control and propulsion mechanism based on the atrioventricular cuspid valve, and the vortibot, a spiral actuator based on Vorticella campanula, a ciliate protozoa. Models derived from biological counterparts are used as a platform for design optimization and actuator performance measurement. The symmetric and asymmetric fluid interactions of the burstbot are investigated and the effectiveness in fluid transport applications is demonstrated. The vortibot actuator is geometrically optimized as a camera positioner capable of 360° scanning. Experimental results for a one-turn spiral actuator show complex actuation derived from a single degree of freedom control signal. (paper)

DNA derived fluorescent bio-dots for sensitive detection of mercury and silver ions in aqueous solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Ting [Laboratory of Environmental Science and Technology, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Materials and Devices for Special Environments, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhu, Xuefeng, E-mail: zhuxf@ms.xjb.ac.cn [Laboratory of Environmental Science and Technology, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Materials and Devices for Special Environments, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011 (China); Zhou, Shenghai [Laboratory of Environmental Science and Technology, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Materials and Devices for Special Environments, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011 (China); Yang, Guang [Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education and International Center for Dielectric Research, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China); Gan, Wei [Laboratory of Environmental Science and Technology, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Materials and Devices for Special Environments, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011 (China); Yuan, Qunhui, E-mail: yuanqh@ms.xjb.ac.cn [Laboratory of Environmental Science and Technology, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Materials and Devices for Special Environments, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011 (China)

2015-08-30

Highlights: • First application of a DNA derived fluorescent bio-dot for metal sensing. • Bio-dot was conveniently obtained via a mild thermal hydro-thermal synthesis. • Bio-dot was directly used for fluorescent sensing without further modification. • Bio-dot showed good fluorescent sensing property for Hg(II) and Ag(I). • Formation of T–Hg–T and C–Ag–C structures played key roles in sensing. - Abstract: Inspired by the high affinity between heavy metal ions and bio-molecules as well as the low toxicity of carbon-based quantum dots, we demonstrated the first application of a DNA derived carbonaceous quantum dots, namely bio-dots, in metal ion sensing. The present DNA-derived bio-dots contain graphitic carbon layers with 0.242 nm lattice fringes, exhibit excellent fluorescence property and can be obtained via a facile hydrothermal preparation procedure. Hg(II) and Ag(I) are prone to be captured by the bio-dots due to the existence of residual thymine (T) and cytosine (C) groups, resulting in a quenched fluorescence while other heavy metal ions would cause negligible changes on the fluorescent signals of the bio-dots. The bio-dots could be used as highly selective toxic-free biosensors, with two detecting linear ranges of 0–0.5 μM and 0.5–6 μM for Hg(II) and one linear range of 0–10 μM for Ag(I). The detection limits (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3) were estimated to be 48 nM for Hg(II) and 0.31 μM for Ag(I), respectively. The detection of Hg(II) and Ag(I) could also be realized in the real water sample analyses, with satisfying recoveries ranging from 87% to 100%.

DNA derived fluorescent bio-dots for sensitive detection of mercury and silver ions in aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Ting; Zhu, Xuefeng; Zhou, Shenghai; Yang, Guang; Gan, Wei; Yuan, Qunhui

2015-01-01

Highlights: • First application of a DNA derived fluorescent bio-dot for metal sensing. • Bio-dot was conveniently obtained via a mild thermal hydro-thermal synthesis. • Bio-dot was directly used for fluorescent sensing without further modification. • Bio-dot showed good fluorescent sensing property for Hg(II) and Ag(I). • Formation of T–Hg–T and C–Ag–C structures played key roles in sensing. - Abstract: Inspired by the high affinity between heavy metal ions and bio-molecules as well as the low toxicity of carbon-based quantum dots, we demonstrated the first application of a DNA derived carbonaceous quantum dots, namely bio-dots, in metal ion sensing. The present DNA-derived bio-dots contain graphitic carbon layers with 0.242 nm lattice fringes, exhibit excellent fluorescence property and can be obtained via a facile hydrothermal preparation procedure. Hg(II) and Ag(I) are prone to be captured by the bio-dots due to the existence of residual thymine (T) and cytosine (C) groups, resulting in a quenched fluorescence while other heavy metal ions would cause negligible changes on the fluorescent signals of the bio-dots. The bio-dots could be used as highly selective toxic-free biosensors, with two detecting linear ranges of 0–0.5 μM and 0.5–6 μM for Hg(II) and one linear range of 0–10 μM for Ag(I). The detection limits (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3) were estimated to be 48 nM for Hg(II) and 0.31 μM for Ag(I), respectively. The detection of Hg(II) and Ag(I) could also be realized in the real water sample analyses, with satisfying recoveries ranging from 87% to 100%

BioCreative V BioC track overview: collaborative biocurator assistant task for BioGRID.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sun; Islamaj Doğan, Rezarta; Chatr-Aryamontri, Andrew; Chang, Christie S; Oughtred, Rose; Rust, Jennifer; Batista-Navarro, Riza; Carter, Jacob; Ananiadou, Sophia; Matos, Sérgio; Santos, André; Campos, David; Oliveira, José Luís; Singh, Onkar; Jonnagaddala, Jitendra; Dai, Hong-Jie; Su, Emily Chia-Yu; Chang, Yung-Chun; Su, Yu-Chen; Chu, Chun-Han; Chen, Chien Chin; Hsu, Wen-Lian; Peng, Yifan; Arighi, Cecilia; Wu, Cathy H; Vijay-Shanker, K; Aydın, Ferhat; Hüsünbeyi, Zehra Melce; Özgür, Arzucan; Shin, Soo-Yong; Kwon, Dongseop; Dolinski, Kara; Tyers, Mike; Wilbur, W John; Comeau, Donald C

2016-01-01

BioC is a simple XML format for text, annotations and relations, and was developed to achieve interoperability for biomedical text processing. Following the success of BioC in BioCreative IV, the BioCreative V BioC track addressed a collaborative task to build an assistant system for BioGRID curation. In this paper, we describe the framework of the collaborative BioC task and discuss our findings based on the user survey. This track consisted of eight subtasks including gene/protein/organism named entity recognition, protein-protein/genetic interaction passage identification and annotation visualization. Using BioC as their data-sharing and communication medium, nine teams, world-wide, participated and contributed either new methods or improvements of existing tools to address different subtasks of the BioC track. Results from different teams were shared in BioC and made available to other teams as they addressed different subtasks of the track. In the end, all submitted runs were merged using a machine learning classifier to produce an optimized output. The biocurator assistant system was evaluated by four BioGRID curators in terms of practical usability. The curators' feedback was overall positive and highlighted the user-friendly design and the convenient gene/protein curation tool based on text mining.Database URL: http://www.biocreative.org/tasks/biocreative-v/track-1-bioc/. Published by Oxford University Press 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Bio-inspired Construction of Advanced Fuel Cell Cathode with Pt Anchored in Ordered Hybrid Polymer Matrix

OpenAIRE

Xia, Zhangxun; Wang, Suli; Jiang, Luhua; Sun, Hai; Liu, Shuang; Fu, Xudong; Zhang, Bingsen; Sheng Su, Dang; Wang, Jianqiang; Sun, Gongquan

2015-01-01

The significant use of platinum for catalyzing the cathodic oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) has hampered the widespread use of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The construction of well-defined electrode architecture in nanoscale with enhanced utilization and catalytic performance of Pt might be a promising approach to address such barrier. Inspired by the highly efficient catalytic processes in enzymes with active centers embedded in charge transport pathways, here we demon...

Bio politics - The bio-environment - bio-culture of the Danube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlavianos-Arvanitis, A.

1997-01-01

The bio-environment has been the single most important correlation in human history and can successfully promote international co-operational co-operation and understanding. With the construction of a network for collaboration, the 'Danube Countries' can come together in celebration of their culture and heritage. As the Danube flows from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, it carries messages of peace, hope and co-operation. Applying these messages to every endeavour can improve our quality of life and lead to a brighter future. Since its inception in 1985, the Bio politics International Organization (B.I.O.) has been labouring to raise awareness of the urgent need to instate a new system of norms and principles, compatible with sound environmental management and with the most important task of ensuring global literacy on environmental issues. Along with critically re-assessing the concept of profit, the goal is to adopt a system of bio centric values, where respect for the bio-environment will govern our every action and thought

Quantitative Estimates of Bio-Remodeling on Coastal Rock Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Pappalardo

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Remodeling of rocky coasts and erosion rates have been widely studied in past years, but not all the involved processes acting over rocks surface have been quantitatively evaluated yet. The first goal of this paper is to revise the different methodologies employed in the quantification of the effect of biotic agents on rocks exposed to coastal morphologic agents, comparing their efficiency. Secondly, we focus on geological methods to assess and quantify bio-remodeling, presenting some case studies in an area of the Mediterranean Sea in which different geological methods, inspired from the revised literature, have been tested in order to provide a quantitative assessment of the effects some biological covers exert over rocky platforms in tidal and supra-tidal environments. In particular, different experimental designs based on Schmidt hammer test results have been applied in order to estimate rock hardness related to different orders of littoral platforms and the bio-erosive/bio-protective role of Chthamalus ssp. and Verrucariaadriatica. All data collected have been analyzed using statistical tests to evaluate the significance of the measures and methodologies. The effectiveness of this approach is analyzed, and its limits are highlighted. In order to overcome the latter, a strategy combining geological and experimental–computational approaches is proposed, potentially capable of revealing novel clues on bio-erosion dynamics. An experimental-computational proposal, to assess the indirect effects of the biofilm coverage of rocky shores, is presented in this paper, focusing on the shear forces exerted during hydration-dehydration cycles. The results of computational modeling can be compared to experimental evidence, from nanoscopic to macroscopic scales.

A bio-inspired memory device based on interfacing Physarum polycephalum with an organic semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romeo, Agostino; Dimonte, Alice; Tarabella, Giuseppe; D’Angelo, Pasquale, E-mail: dangelo@imem.cnr.it, E-mail: iannotta@imem.cnr.it; Erokhin, Victor; Iannotta, Salvatore, E-mail: dangelo@imem.cnr.it, E-mail: iannotta@imem.cnr.it [IMEM-CNR, Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism-National Research Council, Parma 43124 (Italy)

2015-01-01

The development of devices able to detect and record ion fluxes is a crucial point in order to understand the mechanisms that regulate communication and life of organisms. Here, we take advantage of the combined electronic and ionic conduction properties of a conducting polymer to develop a hybrid organic/living device with a three-terminal configuration, using the Physarum polycephalum Cell (PPC) slime mould as a living bio-electrolyte. An over-oxidation process induces a conductivity switch in the polymer, due to the ionic flux taking place at the PPC/polymer interface. This behaviour endows a current-depending memory effect to the device.

Improved Lighthill fish swimming model for bio-inspired robots - Modelling, computational aspects and experimental comparisons.

OpenAIRE

Porez , Mathieu; Boyer , Frédéric; Ijspeert , Auke

2014-01-01

International audience; The best known analytical model of swimming was originally developed by Lighthill and is known as large amplitude elongated body theory (LAEBT). Recently, this theory has been improved and adapted to robotics through a series of studies [Boyer et al., 2008, 2010; Candelier et al., 2011] ranging from hydrodynamic modelling to mobile multibody system dynamics. This article marks a further step towards the Lighthill theory. The LAEBT is ap- plied to one of the best bio-in...

Bio-electrolytic sensor for rapid monitoring of volatile fatty acids in anaerobic digestion process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jin, Xiangdan; Li, Xiaohu; Zhao, Nannan

2017-01-01

This study presents an innovative biosensor that was developed on the basis of a microbial electrolysis cell for fast and reliable measurement of volatile fatty acids (VFA) during anaerobic digestion (AD) process. The bio-electrolytic sensor was first tested with synthetic wastewater containing...

Innovative eco-friendly bio- solvent for combating sea surface and sedimented oil pollution

Science.gov (United States)

Theodorou, Paraskevas

2017-04-01

The combating of oil spill at sea surface by chemical dispersants accelerates the evaporation and disperse the oil into the water column, where it is broken down by natural processes and/or is sedimented at the sea bottom, especially at near coastal shallow areas, ports and marinas. The usual methodology for cleaning the sedimented oil from the sea bottom is mainly carried out via excavation and dumping of the polluted sediment into deeper sea areas, where the contamination is transferred from one area to another. The eco-friendly bio-solvent MSL Aqua 250 is an innovative new solution based mainly on natural constituents. The action mechanism and the effectiveness of this eco-friendly solvent is based on the high surface tension process. Organic compounds, including hydrocarbons upon coming in contact with MSL Aqua 250 solvent generate a significant surface tension reaction, which is able to alter the organic compounds to liquid form and then to drastically evaporate it. The use of MSL Aqua 250 solvent, both at sea surface and at the bottom, has the following advantages compared to the dispersants: • Efficient solution without transferring the pollution from sea surface to the water column and to the bottom or disturbing the Aquatic Eco System. • Non-Toxic. • Environmentally friendly with a restoration of marine life in the Eco System. • Cost effective. The MSL Aqua 250 solvent has been tested in cooperation with the Cyprus Department of Fisheries and Marine Research and the Technological University of Cyprus and used during the years 2015 and 2016 in marinas and fishing shelters in Cyprus faced oil pollution, with high concentration in the sea water and at the sea bottom of chemical parameters (BOD5, COD, FOG, TKN, TP, TPH), with excellent results.

Concurrent uptake and metabolism of dyestuffs through bio-assisted phytoremediation: a symbiotic approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Tahir, Uruj; Sohail, Sana; Khan, Umair Hassan

2017-10-01

Manipulation of bio-technological processes in treatment of dyestuffs has attracted considerable attention, because a large proportion of these synthetic dyes enter into natural environment during synthesis and dyeing operations that contaminates different ecosystems. Moreover, these dyestuffs are toxic and difficult to degrade because of their synthetic origin, durability, and complex aromatic molecular structures. Hence, bio-assisted phytoremediation has recently emerged as an innovative cleanup approach in which microorganisms and plants work together to transform xenobiotic dyestuffs into nontoxic or less harmful products. This manuscript will focus on competence and potential of plant-microbe synergistic systems for treatment of dyestuffs, their mixtures and real textile effluents, and effects of symbiotic relationship on plant performances during remediation process and will highlight their metabolic activities during bio-assisted phytodegradation and detoxification.

Engineering a predatory bacterium as a proficient killer agent for intracellular bio-products recovery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinez, Virginia; Herencias, Cristina; Jurkevitch, Edouard

2016-01-01

This work examines the potential of the predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100, an obligate predator of other Gram-negative bacteria, as an external cell-lytic agent for recovering valuable intracellular bio-products produced by prey cultures. The bio-product targets to be recovered......% of that accumulated by the prey bacteria, even at high biomass concentrations. This innovative downstream process highlights how B. bacteriovorus can be used as a novel, biological lytic agent for the inexpensive, industrial scale recovery of intracellular products from different Gram-negative prey cultures....

Bio-inspired, subwavelength surface structures to control reflectivity, transmission, and scattering in the infrared

Science.gov (United States)

Lora Gonzalez, Federico

Controlling the reflection of visible and infrared (IR) light at interfaces is extremely important to increase the power efficiency and performance of optics, electro-optical and (thermo)photovoltaic systems. The eye of the moth has evolved subwavelength protuberances that increase light transmission into the eye tissue and prevent reflection. The subwavelength protuberances effectively grade the refractive index from that of air (n=1) to that of the tissue (n=1.4), making the interface gradual, suppressing reflection. In theory, the moth-eye (ME) structures can be implemented with any material platform to achieve an antireflectance effect by scaling the pitch and size of protuberances for the wavelength range of interest. In this work, a bio-inspired, scalable and substrate-independent surface modification protocol was developed to realize broadband antireflective structures based on the moth-eye principle. Quasi-ordered ME arrays were fabricated in IR relevant materials using a colloidal lithography method to achieve highly efficient, omni-directional transmission of mid and far infrared (IR) radiation. The effect of structure height and aspect ratio on transmittance and scattering is explored, with discussion on experimental techniques and effective medium theory (EMT). The highest aspect ratio structures (AR = 9.4) achieved peak single-side transmittance of 98%, with >85% transmission for lambda = 7--30 microns. A detailed photon balance constructed by transmission, forward scattering, specular reflection and diffuse reflection measurements to quantify optical losses due to near-field effects will be discussed. In addition, angle-dependent transmission measurements showed that moth-eye structures provide superior antireflective properties compared to unstructured interfaces over a wide angular range (0--60° incidence). Finally, subwavelength ME structures are incorporated on a Si substrate to enhance the absorption of near infrared (NIR) light in PtSi films to

A Biologically-Inspired Power Control Algorithm for Energy-Efficient Cellular Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyun-Ho Choi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Most of the energy used to operate a cellular network is consumed by a base station (BS, and reducing the transmission power of a BS can therefore afford a substantial reduction in the amount of energy used in a network. In this paper, we propose a distributed transmit power control (TPC algorithm inspired by bird flocking behavior as a means of improving the energy efficiency of a cellular network. Just as each bird in a flock attempts to match its velocity with the average velocity of adjacent birds, in the proposed algorithm, each mobile station (MS in a cell matches its rate with the average rate of the co-channel MSs in adjacent cells by controlling the transmit power of its serving BS. We verify that this bio-inspired TPC algorithm using a local rate-average process achieves an exponential convergence and maximizes the minimum rate of the MSs concerned. Simulation results show that the proposed TPC algorithm follows the same convergence properties as the flocking algorithm and also effectively reduces the power consumption at the BSs while maintaining a low outage probability as the inter-cell interference increases; in so doing, it significantly improves the energy efficiency of a cellular network.

Understanding energy technology developments from an innovation system perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borup, M.; Nygaard Madsen, A. [Risoe National Lab., DTU, Systems Analysis Dept., Roskilde (Denmark); Gregersen, Birgitte [Aalborg Univ., Department of Business Studies (Denmark)

2007-05-15

With the increased market-orientation and privatisation of the energy area, the perspective of innovation is becoming more and more relevant for understanding the dynamics of change and technology development in the area. A better understanding of the systemic and complex processes of innovation is needed. This paper presents an innovation systems analysis of new and emerging energy technologies in Denmark. The study focuses on five technology areas: bio fuels, hydrogen technology, wind energy, solar cells and energy-efficient end-use technologies. The main result of the analysis is that the technology areas are quite diverse in a number of innovation-relevant issues like actor set-up, institutional structure, maturity, and connections between market and non-market aspects. The paper constitutes background for discussing the framework conditions for transition to sustainable energy technologies and strengths and weaknesses of the innovation systems. (au)

RELATIONSHIP MARKETING IN THE INNOVATION PROCESSES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodica Boier

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Inspired from the context of business-to-business markets, relationship marketing in the context of innovation have been expanded more and more to the consumer markets as well. The paper starts with a review of several most relevant studies on relationship marketing-innovation topic, from the first references to the current complex approaches. The effective stakeholder involvement in the value creation provides a more fertile ground for further successful innovations. All of the variables generating the success of a relationship marketing approach – trust, commitment, communication, seller’s customer orientation and empathy, experience and satisfaction a.s.o. – are also involved, with specific particularities, in the management of the innovation and new product development processes. The paper also outline the different perspectives to understand the relationship marketing-innovation approaches, coming from the product type, its business-to-business or business-to-consumer settings, the specific industry, the actual stage of the market evolution – emerging or mature –, the level of technological novelty as dimension of technological uncertainty, the position/ status and role of stakeholders as part in the relationships, the state of the new product development process in which the interactions occurs or special issues like sustainable innovation, for profit and not-for-profit areas etc.

Physicists get INSPIREd

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2010-01-01

Particle physicists thrive on information. They first create information by performing experiments or elaborating theoretical conjectures and then they share it through publications and various web tools. The INSPIRE service, just released, will bring state of the art information retrieval to the fingertips of researchers.   Keeping track of the information shared within the particle physics community has long been the task of libraries at the larger labs, such as CERN, DESY, Fermilab and SLAC, as well as the focus of indispensible services like arXiv and those of the Particle Data Group. In 2007, many providers of information in the field came together for a summit at SLAC to see how physics information resources could be enhanced, and the INSPIRE project emerged from that meeting. The vision behind INSPIRE was built by a survey launched by the four labs to evaluate the real needs of the community. INSPIRE responds to these directives from the community by combining the most successful aspe...

Bio-films and processes of bio-corrosion and bio-deterioration in oil-and gas-processing industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kholodenko, V.P.; Irkhina, I.A.; Chugunov, V.A.; Rodin, V.B.; Zhigletsova, S.K.; Yermolenko, Z.M.; Rudavin, V.V. [State Research Center for Applied Microbiology, Obolensk, Moscow region (Russian Federation)

2004-07-01

As a rule, oil- and gas-processing equipment and pipelines are attacked by different microorganisms. Their vital ability determines processes of bio-deterioration and bio-corrosion that lead often to technological accidents and severe environmental contamination. Bio-films presenting a complex association of different microorganisms and their metabolites are responsible for most of damages. In this context, to study the role bio-films may play in processes of bio-damages and in efficacy of protective measures is important. We have developed method of culturing bio-films on the surface of metal coupons by using a natural microbial association isolated from oil-processing sites. Simple and informative methods of determining microbiological parameters of bio-films required to study bio-corrosion processes are also developed. In addition, a method of electron microscopic analysis of bio-films and pitting corrosion is offered. Using these methods, we conducted model experiments to determine the dynamics of corrosion processes depending on qualitative and quantitative composition of bio-films, aeration conditions and duration of the experiment. A harmful effect of soil bacteria and micro-mycetes on different pipeline coatings was also investigated. Experiments were conducted within 3-6 months and revealed degrading action of microorganisms. This was confirmed by axial tension testing of coatings. All these approaches will be used for further development of measures to protect gas- and oil-processing equipment and pipelines against bio-corrosion and bio-damages (first of all biocides). (authors)

A bio-inspired memory device based on interfacing Physarum polycephalum with an organic semiconductor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agostino Romeo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The development of devices able to detect and record ion fluxes is a crucial point in order to understand the mechanisms that regulate communication and life of organisms. Here, we take advantage of the combined electronic and ionic conduction properties of a conducting polymer to develop a hybrid organic/living device with a three-terminal configuration, using the Physarum polycephalum Cell (PPC slime mould as a living bio-electrolyte. An over-oxidation process induces a conductivity switch in the polymer, due to the ionic flux taking place at the PPC/polymer interface. This behaviour endows a current-depending memory effect to the device.

Investigating the Effects of Robot-Assisted Therapy among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder using Bio-markers

Science.gov (United States)

Bharatharaj, Jaishankar; Huang, Loulin; Al-Jumaily, Ahmed; Elara, Mohan Rajesh; Krägeloh, Chris

2017-09-01

Therapeutic pet robots designed to help humans with various medical conditions could play a vital role in physiological, psychological and social-interaction interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this paper, we report our findings from a robot-assisted therapeutic study conducted over seven weeks to investigate the changes in stress levels of children with ASD. For this study, we used the parrot-inspired therapeutic robot, KiliRo, we developed and investigated urinary and salivary samples of participating children to report changes in stress levels before and after interacting with the robot. This is a pioneering human-robot interaction study to investigate the effects of robot-assisted therapy using salivary samples. The results show that the bio-inspired robot-assisted therapy can significantly help reduce the stress levels of children with ASD.

3D-printing and mechanics of bio-inspired articulated and multi-material structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Michael M; Ravikumar, Nakul; Barthelat, Francois; Martini, Roberto

2017-09-01

3D-printing technologies allow researchers to build simplified physical models of complex biological systems to more easily investigate their mechanics. In recent years, a number of 3D-printed structures inspired by the dermal armors of various fishes have been developed to study their multiple mechanical functionalities, including flexible protection, improved hydrodynamics, body support, or tail prehensility. Natural fish armors are generally classified according to their shape, material and structural properties as elasmoid scales, ganoid scales, placoid scales, carapace scutes, or bony plates. Each type of dermal armor forms distinct articulation patterns that facilitate different functional advantages. In this paper, we highlight recent studies that developed 3D-printed structures not only to inform the design and application of some articulated and multi-material structures, but also to explain the mechanics of the natural biological systems they mimic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of a bio-inspired controller for dynamic soaring in a simulated unmanned aerial vehicle.

Science.gov (United States)

Barate, Renaud; Doncieux, Stéphane; Meyer, Jean-Arcady

2006-09-01

This paper is inspired by the way birds such as albatrosses are able to exploit wind gradients at the surface of the ocean for staying aloft for very long periods while minimizing their energy expenditure. The corresponding behaviour has been partially reproduced here via a set of Takagi-Sugeno-Kang fuzzy rules controlling a simulated glider. First, the rules were hand-designed. Then, they were optimized with an evolutionary algorithm that improved their efficiency at coping with challenging conditions. Finally, the robustness properties of the controller generated were assessed with a view to its applicability to a real platform.

Biorefineries - New Green Strategy For Development Of Smart And Innovative Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Płaza, Grażyna A.; Wandzich, Dorota

2016-09-01

Ecological engineering or ecotechnology is defined as the design of sustainable production that integrate human society with the natural environment for the benefit of both. In order to reach the goal of sustainability therefore important that bioproduct production systems are converted from to natural cycle oriented. In natural cycles there are not waste, but products are generated at different stages of the cycle. The ecotechnology creates a sustainable bioeconomy using biomass in a smart and efficient way. The biorefining sector, which uses smart, innovative and efficient technologies to convert biomass feedstocks into a range of bio-based products including fuels, chemicals, power, food, and renewable oils, currently presents the innovative and efficient bio-based production can revitalize existing industries. The paper presents the concept of biorefinery as the ecotechnological approach for creating a sustainable bioeconomy using biomass in a smart and efficient way.

Virus-Inspired Nanogenes Free from Man-Made Materials for Host-Specific Transfection and Bio-Aided MR Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jing-Yi; Zhang, Ming-Kang; Ding, Xian-Guang; Qiu, Wen-Xiu; Yu, Wu-Yang; Feng, Jun; Zhang, Xian-Zheng

2018-05-01

Many viruses have a lipid envelope derived from the host cell membrane that contributes much to the host specificity and the cellular invasion. This study puts forward a virus-inspired technology that allows targeted genetic delivery free from man-made materials. Genetic therapeutics, metal ions, and biologically derived cell membranes are nanointegrated. Vulnerable genetic therapeutics contained in the formed "nanogene" can be well protected from unwanted attacks by blood components and enzymes. The surface envelope composed of cancer cell membrane fragments enables host-specific targeting of the nanogene to the source cancer cells and homologous tumors while effectively inhibiting recognition by macrophages. High transfection efficiency highlights the potential of this technology for practical applications. Another unique merit of this technology arises from the facile combination of special biofunction of metal ions with genetic therapy. Typically, Gd(III)-involved nanogene generates a much higher T 1 relaxation rate than the clinically used Gd magnetic resonance imaging agent and harvests the enhanced MRI contrast at tumors. This virus-inspired technology points out a distinctive new avenue for the disease-specific transport of genetic therapeutics and other biomacromolecules. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The BioMart community portal: an innovative alternative to large, centralized data repositories

Science.gov (United States)

The BioMart Community Portal (www.biomart.org) is a community-driven effort to provide a unified interface to biomedical databases that are distributed worldwide. The portal provides access to numerous database projects supported by 30 scientific organizations. It includes over 800 different biologi...

Anti-fouling properties of microstructured surfaces bio-inspired by rice leaves and butterfly wings.

Science.gov (United States)

Bixler, Gregory D; Theiss, Andrew; Bhushan, Bharat; Lee, Stephen C

2014-04-01

Material scientists often look to biology for new engineering solutions to materials science problems. For example, unique surface characteristics of rice leaves and butterfly wings combine the shark skin (antifouling) and lotus leaf (self-cleaning) effects, producing the so-called rice and butterfly wing effect. In this paper, we study antifouling properties of four microstructured surfaces inspired by rice leaves and fabricated with photolithography and hot embossing techniques. Anti-biofouling effectiveness is determined with bioassays using Escherichia coli whilst inorganic fouling with simulated dirt particles. Antifouling data are presented to understand the role of surface geometrical features resistance to fouling. Conceptual modeling provides design guidance when developing novel antifouling surfaces for applications in the medical, marine, and industrial fields. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How the LHC is inspiring a Smart Urban Farm Startup

CERN Multimedia

Anaïs Rassat, KT group

2016-01-01

Innovative ideas blossom at the KT Entrepreneurship meet-ups.   Industrial control systems can be used in smart urban farms, for example for aquaponics. (Image: Exodes Urbains) The CERN Knowledge Transfer (KT) entrepreneurship meet-ups (or EM-Us) are the ideal place to discuss entrepreneurship and innovation at CERN. The latest inspiring story comes from a former CERN robotics engineer, Axel Voitier, who worked in the Engineering department. Having worked nearly a decade on managing data coming from the industrial control systems on the LHC, now he will be focusing on the data to help manage “smart urban farms”. Indeed, Axel is currently setting up a company dedicated to this new type of farming, an internet-of-things approach where control systems are used to manage urban farms automatically. “Data is the new petrol,” says Axel, “but I am interested in having a direct impact on the final users. This is why the security aspect is vital, because ev...

Digital liver biopsy: Bio-imaging of fatty liver for translational and clinical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Mancini, Marcello; Summers, Paul; Faita, Francesco; Brunetto, Maurizia R; Callea, Francesco; De Nicola, Andrea; Di Lascio, Nicole; Farinati, Fabio; Gastaldelli, Amalia; Gridelli, Bruno; Mirabelli, Peppino; Neri, Emanuele; Salvadori, Piero A; Rebelos, Eleni; Tiribelli, Claudio; Valenti, Luca; Salvatore, Marco; Bonino, Ferruccio

2018-02-27

The rapidly growing field of functional, molecular and structural bio-imaging is providing an extraordinary new opportunity to overcome the limits of invasive liver biopsy and introduce a "digital biopsy" for in vivo study of liver pathophysiology. To foster the application of bio-imaging in clinical and translational research, there is a need to standardize the methods of both acquisition and the storage of the bio-images of the liver. It can be hoped that the combination of digital, liquid and histologic liver biopsies will provide an innovative synergistic tri-dimensional approach to identifying new aetiologies, diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the optimization of personalized therapy of liver diseases and liver cancer. A group of experts of different disciplines (Special Interest Group for Personalized Hepatology of the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver, Institute for Biostructures and Bio-imaging of the National Research Council and Bio-banking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure) discussed criteria, methods and guidelines for facilitating the requisite application of data collection. This manuscript provides a multi-Author review of the issue with special focus on fatty liver.

Social acceptance of sustainable issues : A discourse analysis of how people speak about bio-digestion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Harmelink, Maartje; Klarenbeek, Annette; Wiekens, Carina

2015-01-01

For successful energy transitions, social acceptance of innovative technologies is essential. In order to determine the contributing factors, the acceptance of bio-digestion in The Netherlands was analyzed. A discourse analysis of 200 newspaper articles was conducted to answer the question: how do

Bio-prospecting of distillery yeasts as bio-control and bio-remediation agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Ubeda, Juan F; Maldonado, María; Briones, Ana I; Francisco, J Fernández; González, Francisco J

2014-05-01

This work constitutes a preliminary study in which the capacity of non-Saccharomyces yeasts isolated from ancient distilleries as bio-control agents against moulds and in the treatment of waste waters contaminated by heavy metals-i.e. bio-remediation-is shown. In the first control assays, antagonist effect between non-Saccharomyces yeasts, their extracts and supernatants against some moulds, analysing the plausible (not exhaustive) involved factors were qualitatively verified. In addition, two enzymatic degrading properties of cell wall plant polymers, quitinolitic and pectinolitic, were screened. Finally, their use as agents of bio-remediation of three heavy metals (cadmium, chromium and lead) was analysed semi-quantitatively. The results showed that all isolates belonging to Pichia species effectively inhibited all moulds assayed. Moreover, P. kudriavzevii is a good candidate for both bio-control and bio-remediation because it inhibited moulds and accumulated the major proportion of the three tested metals.

The Potential of the Bio-economy: From Photosynthesis to Industry, from Innovation to Market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, Claude

2016-01-01

Growing awareness of resource exhaustion and of the consequences, particularly for the climate, of our modes of consumption and production has helped remind humanity that we live in a finite world and that to make too many demands on our ecosystem is to run the risk of reaching a point of no return. To change everyone's styles of production and consumption in ail countries by the end of the century is without doubt too ambitious an aim, but it is worth putting it forward and trying to equip ourselves with the tools to achieve it. The bio-economy or 'green carbon' economy is one of those tools, as Claude Roy shows in this article. It consists in exploiting the fruits of plant photosynthesis not merely for foodstuffs, but also for materials, chemical bases, fertilizers, energy etc. Claude Roy outlines the main characteristics of the bio-economy, particularly in France, the economic sectors it covers and their potential, particularly in terms of employment. First and foremost, he shows how it could contribute to meeting the major challenges of our world, whose finite nature we are rediscovering today. Energy conservation, a renewables- based economy and carbon sequestration -three possible 'emergency exits' at the heart of the bio-economy, so long as human beings can commit to developing their agricultural crops and forests. (author)

Inspiration from britain?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vagnby, Bo

2008-01-01

Danish housing policy needs a dose of renewed social concern - and could find new inspiration in Britain's housing and urban planning policies, says Bo Vagnby. Udgivelsesdato: November......Danish housing policy needs a dose of renewed social concern - and could find new inspiration in Britain's housing and urban planning policies, says Bo Vagnby. Udgivelsesdato: November...

A top-down approach for fabricating free-standing bio-carbon supercapacitor electrodes with a hierarchical structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yingzhi; Zhang, Qinghua; Zhang, Junxian; Jin, Lei; Zhao, Xin; Xu, Ting

2015-09-23

Biomass has delicate hierarchical structures, which inspired us to develop a cost-effective route to prepare electrode materials with rational nanostructures for use in high-performance storage devices. Here, we demonstrate a novel top-down approach for fabricating bio-carbon materials with stable structures and excellent diffusion pathways; this approach is based on carbonization with controlled chemical activation. The developed free-standing bio-carbon electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 204 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1); good rate capability, as indicated by the residual initial capacitance of 85.5% at 10 A g(-1); and a long cycle life. These performance characteristics are attributed to the outstanding hierarchical structures of the electrode material. Appropriate carbonization conditions enable the bio-carbon materials to inherit the inherent hierarchical texture of the original biomass, thereby facilitating effective channels for fast ion transfer. The macropores and mesopores that result from chemical activation significantly increase the specific surface area and also play the role of temporary ion-buffering reservoirs, further shortening the ionic diffusion distance.

Bionic Manufacturing: Towards Cyborg Cells and Sentient Microbots.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Sarvesh Kumar; Yadav, Vikramaditya G

2018-05-01

Bio-inspired engineering applies biological design principles towards developing engineering solutions but is not practical as a manufacturing paradigm. We advocate 'bionic manufacturing', a synergistic fusion of biotic and abiotic components, to transition away from bio-inspiration toward bio-augmentation to address current limitations in bio-inspired manufacturing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biologically inspired flexible quasi-single-mode random laser: An integration of Pieris canidia butterfly wing and semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Cih-Su; Chang, Tsung-Yuan; Lin, Tai-Yuan; Chen, Yang-Fang

2014-10-01

Quasi-periodic structures of natural biomaterial membranes have great potentials to serve as resonance cavities to generate ecological friendly optoelectronic devices with low cost. To achieve the first attempt for the illustration of the underlying principle, the Pieris canidia butterfly wing was embedded with ZnO nanoparticles. Quite interestingly, it is found that the bio-inspired quasi-single-mode random laser can be achieved by the assistance of the skeleton of the membrane, in which ZnO nanoparticles act as emitting gain media. Such unique characteristics can be interpreted well by the Fabry-Perot resonance existing in the window-like quasi-periodic structure of butterfly wing. Due to the inherently promising flexibility of butterfly wing membrane, the laser action can still be maintained during the bending process. Our demonstrated approach not only indicates that the natural biological structures can provide effective scattering feedbacks but also pave a new avenue towards designing bio-controlled photonic devices.

Biologically inspired flexible quasi-single-mode random laser: an integration of Pieris canidia butterfly wing and semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Cih-Su; Chang, Tsung-Yuan; Lin, Tai-Yuan; Chen, Yang-Fang

2014-10-23

Quasi-periodic structures of natural biomaterial membranes have great potentials to serve as resonance cavities to generate ecological friendly optoelectronic devices with low cost. To achieve the first attempt for the illustration of the underlying principle, the Pieris canidia butterfly wing was embedded with ZnO nanoparticles. Quite interestingly, it is found that the bio-inspired quasi-single-mode random laser can be achieved by the assistance of the skeleton of the membrane, in which ZnO nanoparticles act as emitting gain media. Such unique characteristics can be interpreted well by the Fabry-Perot resonance existing in the window-like quasi-periodic structure of butterfly wing. Due to the inherently promising flexibility of butterfly wing membrane, the laser action can still be maintained during the bending process. Our demonstrated approach not only indicates that the natural biological structures can provide effective scattering feedbacks but also pave a new avenue towards designing bio-controlled photonic devices.

Bio-fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

This report presents an overview of the technologies which are currently used or presently developed for the production of bio-fuels in Europe and more particularly in France. After a brief history of this production since the beginning of the 20. century, the authors describe the support to agriculture and the influence of the Common Agricultural Policy, outline the influence of the present context of struggle against the greenhouse effect, and present the European legislative context. Data on the bio-fuels consumption in the European Union in 2006 are discussed. An overview of the evolution of the activity related to bio-fuels in France, indicating the locations of ethanol and bio-diesel production facilities, and the evolution of bio-fuel consumption, is given. The German situation is briefly presented. Production of ethanol by fermentation, the manufacturing of ETBE, the bio-diesel production from vegetable oils are discussed. Second generation bio-fuels are then presented (cellulose enzymatic processing), together with studies on thermochemical processes and available biomass resources

Inspiring Innovation

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2009-01-01

Craig Barrett became Intel's fourth president in May 1997, chief executive officer in 1998 and chairman of the Board on May 18, 2005. Dr. Barrett also serves as Chairman of the United Nations Global Alliance for Information...

Biomimetic design method for innovation and sustainability

CERN Document Server

Helfman Cohen, Yael

2017-01-01

Presenting a novel biomimetic design method for transferring design solutions from nature to technology, this book focuses on structure-function patterns in nature and advanced modeling tools derived from TRIZ, the theory of inventive problem-solving. The book includes an extensive literature review on biomimicry as an engine of both innovation and sustainability, and discusses in detail the biomimetic design process, current biomimetic design methods and tools. The structural biomimetic design method for innovation and sustainability put forward in this text encompasses (1) the research method and rationale used to develop and validate this new design method; (2) the suggested design algorithm and tools including the Findstructure database, structure-function patterns and ideality patterns; and (3) analyses of four case studies describing how to use the proposed method. This book offers an essential resource for designers who wish to use nature as a source of inspiration and knowledge, innovators and sustain...

Bio-inspired Ni2+-polyphenol hydrophilic network to achieve unconventional high-flux nanofiltration membranes for environmental remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

You, Fangjie; Xu, Yanchao; Yang, Xiaobin; Zhang, Yanqiu; Shao, Lu

2017-06-01

A novel Ni 2+ -polyphenol network was designed as an excellent bio-coating by a one-step strategy to obtain nanofiltration membranes, possessing unconventional high water flux up to 56.1 L m -2 h -1 bar -1 with rose bengal (RB) rejection above 95%. This study provides a facile approach to prepare highly-efficient nanofiltration membranes for wastewater remediation.

A Tony Thomas-Inspired Guide to INSPIRE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Connell, Heath B.; /Fermilab

2010-04-01

The SPIRES database was created in the late 1960s to catalogue the high energy physics preprints received by the SLAC Library. In the early 1990s it became the first database on the web and the first website outside of Europe. Although indispensible to the HEP community, its aging software infrastructure is becoming a serious liability. In a joint project involving CERN, DESY, Fermilab and SLAC, a new database, INSPIRE, is being created to replace SPIRES using CERN's modern, open-source Invenio database software. INSPIRE will maintain the content and functionality of SPIRES plus many new features. I describe this evolution from the birth of SPIRES to the current day, noting that the career of Tony Thomas spans this timeline.

A Tony Thomas-Inspired Guide to INSPIRE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Connell, Heath B.

2010-01-01

The SPIRES database was created in the late 1960s to catalogue the high energy physics preprints received by the SLAC Library. In the early 1990s it became the first database on the web and the first website outside of Europe. Although indispensible to the HEP community, its aging software infrastructure is becoming a serious liability. In a joint project involving CERN, DESY, Fermilab and SLAC, a new database, INSPIRE, is being created to replace SPIRES using CERN's modern, open-source Invenio database software. INSPIRE will maintain the content and functionality of SPIRES plus many new features. I describe this evolution from the birth of SPIRES to the current day, noting that the career of Tony Thomas spans this timeline.

Advances in Bio-Imaging From Physics to Signal Understanding Issues State-of-the-Art and Challenges

CERN Document Server

Racoceanu, Daniel; Gouaillard, Alexandre

2012-01-01

Advances in Imaging Devices and Image processing stem from cross-fertilization between many fields of research such as Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Sciences. This BioImaging Community feel the urge to integrate more intensively its various results, discoveries and innovation into ready to use tools that can address all the new exciting challenges that Life Scientists (Biologists, Medical doctors, ...) keep providing, almost on a daily basis. Devising innovative chemical probes, for example, is an archetypal goal in which image quality improvement must be driven by the physics of acquisition, the image processing and analysis algorithms and the chemical skills in order to design an optimal bioprobe. This book offers an overview of the current advances in many research fields related to bioimaging and highlights the current limitations that would need to be addressed in the next decade to design fully integrated BioImaging Device.

Facilitating the take-up of new HCI practices : A 'diffusion of innovations'

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeeren, A.P.O.S.; Cockton, G.

2013-01-01

The workshop Made for Sharing: HCI Stories of Transfer, Triumph & Tragedy focuses on collecting cases in which practitioners have used their HCI methods in new contexts. For analyzing the collected body of cases we propose to apply a framework inspired by the Diffusion of Innovations approach which

Design and Calibration of a Novel Bio-Inspired Pixelated Polarized Light Compass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guoliang Han

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Animals, such as Savannah sparrows and North American monarch butterflies, are able to obtain compass information from skylight polarization patterns to help them navigate effectively and robustly. Inspired by excellent navigation ability of animals, this paper proposes a novel image-based polarized light compass, which has the advantages of having a small size and being light weight. Firstly, the polarized light compass, which is composed of a Charge Coupled Device (CCD camera, a pixelated polarizer array and a wide-angle lens, is introduced. Secondly, the measurement method of a skylight polarization pattern and the orientation method based on a single scattering Rayleigh model are presented. Thirdly, the error model of the sensor, mainly including the response error of CCD pixels and the installation error of the pixelated polarizer, is established. A calibration method based on iterative least squares estimation is proposed. In the outdoor environment, the skylight polarization pattern can be measured in real time by our sensor. The orientation accuracy of the sensor increases with the decrease of the solar elevation angle, and the standard deviation of orientation error is 0 . 15 ∘ at sunset. Results of outdoor experiments show that the proposed polarization navigation sensor can be used for outdoor autonomous navigation.

Bio-fuel barometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

After a year of doubt and decline the consumption of bio-fuel resumed a growth in 2014 in Europe: +6.1% compared to 2013, to reach 14 millions tep (Mtep) that is just below the 2012 peak. This increase was mainly due to bio-diesel. By taking into account the energy content and not the volume, the consumption of bio-diesel represented 79.7% of bio-fuel consumption in 2014, that of bio-ethanol only 19.1% and that of biogas 1%. The incorporating rate of bio-fuels in fuels used for transport were 4.6% in 2013 and 4.9% in 2014. The trend is good and the future of bio-fuel seems clearer as the European Union has set a not-so-bad limit of 7% for first generation bio-fuels in order to take into account the CASI effect. The CASI effect shows that an increase of the consumption of first generation bio-fuels (it means bio-fuels produced from food crops like rape, soy, cereals, sugar beet,...) implies in fact a global increase in greenhouse gas release that is due to a compensation phenomenon. More uncultivated lands (like forests, grasslands, bogs are turned into cultivated lands in order to compensate lands used for bio-fuel production. In most European countries the consumption of bio-diesel increased in 2014 while it was a bad year for the European industry of ethanol because ethanol prices dropped by 16 %. Oil companies are now among the most important producers of bio-diesel in Europe.

The innovation of EU environmental policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

actors involved. The seven case-study chapters, written from a variety of perspectives, focus on such topics as the impact of formal and informal institutional factors on policy innovation, the potential influence of new members on EU environmental policy-making, the role of cross-national networks...... and alliances, the shifting balance between leader and laggard members, and the ongoing problem integrating the environment into other policy fields. The book also draws on theoretical approaches ranging from institutional to policy network analyses and examines such pertinent contemporary issues as packaging......Inspired by the recent accession of three environmentally progressive member states to the European Union (EU), this book explores the process of environmental policy innovation in the EU, the forces behind the introduction of new issues and policy approaches, and the roles played by the major...

Production of bioelectricity, bio-hydrogen, high value chemicals and bioinspired nanomaterials by electrochemically active biofilms.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalathil, Shafeer; Khan, Mohammad Mansoob; Lee, Jintae; Cho, Moo Hwan

2013-11-01

Microorganisms naturally form biofilms on solid surfaces for their mutual benefits including protection from environmental stresses caused by contaminants, nutritional depletion or imbalances. The biofilms are normally dangerous to human health due to their inherited robustness. On the other hand, a recent study suggested that electrochemically active biofilms (EABs) generated by electrically active microorganisms have properties that can be used to catalyze or control the electrochemical reactions in a range of fields, such as bioenergy production, bioremediation, chemical/biological synthesis, bio-corrosion mitigation and biosensor development. EABs have attracted considerable attraction in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs), such as microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells, where they act as living bioanode or biocathode catalysts. Recently, it was reported that EABs can be used to synthesize metal nanoparticles and metal nanocomposites. The EAB-mediated synthesis of metal and metal-semiconductor nanocomposites is expected to provide a new avenue for the greener synthesis of nanomaterials with high efficiency and speed than other synthetic methods. This review covers the general introduction of EABs, as well as the applications of EABs in BESs, and the production of bio-hydrogen, high value chemicals and bio-inspired nanomaterials. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Innovating in knowledge transfer

CERN Multimedia

2014-01-01

When you ask people whether investment in basic science is worth it, the answer you get is an overwhelming ‘yes’… followed by a pause, and then a question: ‘what’s the immediate benefit?’ Of course we have answers.   Basic research at CERN expands the pool of human knowledge. It inspires the young, and provides an important impetus to scientific and technical education. Applications of CERN technology are to be found in many domains, and the results of basic science provide the seeds for applied research. All this is clear and well established, but we can always do more, and that’s why I was particularly impressed with an event that took place at CERN last week. Education and innovation are core missions for CERN, and they came together last week when 17 students from universities in Finland, Greece and Italy presented the results of their five-month challenge-based innovation course (CBI). Developed by CERN along with Aa...

Bio-inspired silicon nanospikes fabricated by metal-assisted chemical etching for antibacterial surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Huan; Siu, Vince S.; Gifford, Stacey M.; Kim, Sungcheol; Lu, Minhua; Meyer, Pablo; Stolovitzky, Gustavo A.

2017-12-01

The recently discovered bactericidal properties of nanostructures on wings of insects such as cicadas and dragonflies have inspired the development of similar nanostructured surfaces for antibacterial applications. Since most antibacterial applications require nanostructures covering a considerable amount of area, a practical fabrication method needs to be cost-effective and scalable. However, most reported nanofabrication methods require either expensive equipment or a high temperature process, limiting cost efficiency and scalability. Here, we report a simple, fast, low-cost, and scalable antibacterial surface nanofabrication methodology. Our method is based on metal-assisted chemical etching that only requires etching a single crystal silicon substrate in a mixture of silver nitrate and hydrofluoric acid for several minutes. We experimentally studied the effects of etching time on the morphology of the silicon nanospikes and the bactericidal properties of the resulting surface. We discovered that 6 minutes of etching results in a surface containing silicon nanospikes with optimal geometry. The bactericidal properties of the silicon nanospikes were supported by bacterial plating results, fluorescence images, and scanning electron microscopy images.

Adaptive Bio-Inspired Wireless Network Routing for Planetary Surface Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Alena, Richard I.; Lee, Charles

2004-01-01

Wireless mobile networks suffer connectivity loss when used in a terrain that has hills, and valleys when line of sight is interrupted or range is exceeded. To resolve this problem and achieve acceptable network performance, we have designed an adaptive, configurable, hybrid system to automatically route network packets along the best path between multiple geographically dispersed modules. This is very useful in planetary surface exploration, especially for ad-hoc mobile networks, where computational devices take an active part in creating a network infrastructure, and can actually be used to route data dynamically and even store data for later transmission between networks. Using inspiration from biological systems, this research proposes to use ant trail algorithms with multi-layered information maps (topographic maps, RF coverage maps) to determine the best route through ad-hoc network at real time. The determination of best route is a complex one, and requires research into the appropriate metrics, best method to identify the best path, optimizing traffic capacity, network performance, reliability, processing capabilities and cost. Real ants are capable of finding the shortest path from their nest to a food source without visual sensing through the use of pheromones. They are also able to adapt to changes in the environment using subtle clues. To use ant trail algorithms, we need to define the probability function. The artificial ant is, in this case, a software agent that moves from node to node on a network graph. The function to calculate the fitness (evaluate the better path) includes: length of the network edge, the coverage index, topology graph index, and pheromone trail left behind by other ant agents. Each agent modifies the environment in two different ways: 1) Local trail updating: As the ant moves between nodes it updates the amount of pheromone on the edge; and 2) Global trail updating: When all ants have completed a tour the ant that found the

Editorial: from plant biotechnology to bio-based products.

Science.gov (United States)

Stöger, Eva

2013-10-01

From plant biotechnology to bio-based products - this Special Issue of Biotechnology Journal is dedicated to plant biotechnology and is edited by Prof. Eva Stöger (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria). The Special Issue covers a wide range of topics in plant biotechnology, including metabolic engineering of biosynthesis pathways in plants; taking advantage of the scalability of the plant system for the production of innovative materials; as well as the regulatory challenges and society acceptance of plant biotechnology. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Skin-Inspired Electronics: An Emerging Paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sihong; Oh, Jin Young; Xu, Jie; Tran, Helen; Bao, Zhenan

2018-05-15

stretchable conductors, semiconductors, and dielectrics without sacrificing their electrical performance. Employing such materials, innovative device design coupled with fabrication method development has enabled stretchable sensors and displays as input/output components and large-scale transistor arrays for circuits and active matrixes. Strategies to incorporate self-healing into electronic materials are the second focus of this Account. To date, dynamic intermolecular interactions have been the most effective approach for imparting self-healing properties onto polymeric electronic materials, which have been utilized to fabricate self-healing sensors and actuators. Moreover, biodegradability has emerged as an important feature in skin-inspired electronics. The incorporation of degradable moieties along the polymer backbone allows for degradable conducting polymers and the use of bioderived materials has led to the demonstration of biodegradable functional devices, such as sensors and transistors. Finally, we highlight examples of skin-inspired electronics for three major applications: prosthetic e-skins, wearable electronics, and implantable electronics.

The Wyss institute: A new model for medical technology innovation and translation across the academic‐industrial interface

OpenAIRE

Tolikas, Mary; Antoniou, Ayis; Ingber, Donald E.

2017-01-01

Abstract The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University was formed based on the recognition that breakthrough discoveries cannot change the world if they never leave the laboratory. The Institute's mission is to discover the biological principles that Nature uses to build living things, and to harness these insights to create biologically inspired engineering innovations to advance human health and create a more sustainable world. Since its launch in 2009, the ...

Global Health Innovation Technology Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimberly Harding

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Chronic technology and business process disparities between High Income, Low Middle Income and Low Income (HIC, LMIC, LIC research collaborators directly prevent the growth of sustainable Global Health innova‐ tion for infectious and rare diseases. There is a need for an Open Source-Open Science Architecture Framework to bridge this divide. We are proposing such a framework for consideration by the Global Health community, by utiliz‐ ing a hybrid approach of integrating agnostic Open Source technology and healthcare interoperability standards and Total Quality Management principles. We will validate this architecture framework through our programme called Project Orchid. Project Orchid is a conceptual Clinical Intelligence Exchange and Virtual Innovation platform utilizing this approach to support clinical innovation efforts for multi-national collaboration that can be locally sustainable for LIC and LMIC research cohorts. The goal is to enable LIC and LMIC research organizations to acceler‐ ate their clinical trial process maturity in the field of drug discovery, population health innovation initiatives and public domain knowledge networks. When sponsored, this concept will be tested by 12 confirmed clinical research and public health organizations in six countries. The potential impact of this platform is reduced drug discovery and public health innovation lag time and improved clinical trial interventions, due to reliable clinical intelligence and bio-surveillance across all phases of the clinical innovation process.

Diversifying bio-petro fuel sources for future energy sustainability and its challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Othman, M. R.; Helwani, Z.; Idris, I.

2018-04-01

Petroleum has been important in the energy industry since 19th century when the refining of paraffin from crude oil began. The industry recently appears to be in a downtown and fragile moment despite the price of oil is slowly rising. Renewable alternatives such as biofuels have gained increasing traction while petroleum fuel seemingly concedes to bio-fuels due to the rising public concern on the environment and stricter emission regulations. To be a strategic fuel in the energy security matrix, both fossil and bio-fuels options should be considered. However, the use of bio-fuels to achieve a degree of carbon neutrality is not without challenges. Among the challenges are land development and socio-political issue, carbon neutrality due to ILUC, high 2G bio-fuel feedstock and production cost, competing technology from electric vehicles and the impending fourth industrial revolution, NOx emissions and variation in biodiesel quality. This paper briefly reviews the potential of fuels source diversification and the challenges and how they can raise up to the challenges in order to be sustainable and attractive. In order to achieve this objective, first carbon credit through carbon trading needs to continue to stabilize the energy price. Second, 1G bio-fuel needs to forgo the use of natural, peat forest, rubber estate since these are an effective carbon sink and oxygen source. Third, advanced bio-fuels with high yield, process economics and sustainability need to be innovated. Fourth, the quality and standard bio-fuel that reduces NOx emission need to be improved. Finally and most importantly, carbon capture technology needs to be deployed immediately in fossil fuel power plants.

BIOREFINERIES – NEW GREEN STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SMART AND INNOVATIVE INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grażyna A. PŁAZA

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Ecological engineering or ecotechnology is defined as the design of sustainable production that integrate human society with the natural environment for the benefit of both. In order to reach the goal of sustainability therefore important that bioproduct production systems are converted from to natural cycle oriented. In natural cycles there are not waste, but products are generated at different stages of the cycle. The ecotechnology creates a sustainable bioeconomy using biomass in a smart and efficient way. The biorefining sector, which uses smart, innovative and efficient technologies to convert biomass feedstocks into a range of bio-based products including fuels, chemicals, power, food, and renewable oils, currently presents the innovative and efficient bio-based production can revitalize existing industries. The paper presents the concept of biorefinery as the ecotechnological approach for creating a sustainable bioeconomy using biomass in a smart and efficient way.

PhysarumSpreader: A New Bio-Inspired Methodology for Identifying Influential Spreaders in Complex Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongping; Zhang, Yajuan; Zhang, Zili; Mahadevan, Sankaran; Deng, Yong

2015-01-01

Identifying influential spreaders in networks, which contributes to optimizing the use of available resources and efficient spreading of information, is of great theoretical significance and practical value. A random-walk-based algorithm LeaderRank has been shown as an effective and efficient method in recognizing leaders in social network, which even outperforms the well-known PageRank method. As LeaderRank is initially developed for binary directed networks, further extensions should be studied in weighted networks. In this paper, a generalized algorithm PhysarumSpreader is proposed by combining LeaderRank with a positive feedback mechanism inspired from an amoeboid organism called Physarum Polycephalum. By taking edge weights into consideration and adding the positive feedback mechanism, PhysarumSpreader is applicable in both directed and undirected networks with weights. By taking two real networks for examples, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparing with other standard centrality measures.

Diversification and enrichment of clinical biomaterials inspired by Darwinian evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, D W; Watson, G S; Watson, J A; Lee, D-J; Lee, J-M; Jung, H-S

2016-09-15

Regenerative medicine and biomaterials design are driven by biomimicry. There is the essential requirement to emulate human cell, tissue, organ and physiological complexity to ensure long-lasting clinical success. Biomimicry projects for biomaterials innovation can be re-invigorated with evolutionary insights and perspectives, since Darwinian evolution is the original dynamic process for biological organisation and complexity. Many existing human inspired regenerative biomaterials (defined as a nature generated, nature derived and nature mimicking structure, produced within a biological system, which can deputise for, or replace human tissues for which it closely matches) are without important elements of biological complexity such as, hierarchy and autonomous actions. It is possible to engineer these essential elements into clinical biomaterials via bioinspired implementation of concepts, processes and mechanisms played out during Darwinian evolution; mechanisms such as, directed, computational, accelerated evolutions and artificial selection contrived in the laboratory. These dynamos for innovation can be used during biomaterials fabrication, but also to choose optimal designs in the regeneration process. Further evolutionary information can help at the design stage; gleaned from the historical evolution of material adaptations compared across phylogenies to changes in their environment and habitats. Taken together, harnessing evolutionary mechanisms and evolutionary pathways, leading to ideal adaptations, will eventually provide a new class of Darwinian and evolutionary biomaterials. This will provide bioengineers with a more diversified and more efficient innovation tool for biomaterial design, synthesis and function than currently achieved with synthetic materials chemistry programmes and rational based materials design approach, which require reasoned logic. It will also inject further creativity, diversity and richness into the biomedical technologies that

BioSIGHT: Interactive Visualization Modules for Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Wee Ling

1998-01-01

Redefining science education to harness emerging integrated media technologies with innovative pedagogical goals represents a unique challenge. The Integrated Media Systems Center (IMSC) is the only engineering research center in the area of multimedia and creative technologies sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The research program at IMSC is focused on developing advanced technologies that address human-computer interfaces, database management, and high- speed network capabilities. The BioSIGHT project at IMSC is a demonstration technology project in the area of education that seeks to address how such emerging multimedia technologies can make an impact on science education. The scope of this project will help solidify NASA's commitment for the development of innovative educational resources that promotes science literacy for our students and the general population as well. These issues must be addressed as NASA marches towards the goal of enabling human space exploration that requires an understanding of life sciences in space. The IMSC BioSIGHT lab was established with the purpose of developing a novel methodology that will map a high school biology curriculum into a series of interactive visualization modules that can be easily incorporated into a space biology curriculum. Fundamental concepts in general biology must be mastered in order to allow a better understanding and application for space biology. Interactive visualization is a powerful component that can capture the students' imagination, facilitate their assimilation of complex ideas, and help them develop integrated views of biology. These modules will augment the role of the teacher and will establish the value of student-centered interactivity, both in an individual setting as well as in a collaborative learning environment. Students will be able to interact with the content material, explore new challenges, and perform virtual laboratory simulations. The BioSIGHT effort is truly cross

Design Innovations and Implementation Challenges - A Case of Smart Textiles in Future Hospital Interiors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mogensen, Jeppe; Jørgensen, Poul-Erik; Poulsen, Søren Bolvig

2014-01-01

Concerned with the overall challenges of implementing design innovations, this paper relates to the specific case of applying smart textiles in future hospital interiors. The methodological approach is inspired by design thinking and implementation processes, and through the scope of a developed ...

Innovative forms of citizen participation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nyseth, Torill; Ringholm, Toril; Agger, Annika

in practice. Some scholars claim that a reason is due to rigid and formal procedures and that the ways citizen meetings are structured tend to appeal to a limited amount of the population. At the same time, we are witnessing a proliferation in novel and more experimental ways of how citizens and authorities...... interact within the field of urban governance. This is for example seen in urban regeneration projects in Denmark and planning experiments in Norway where we are witnessing more inclusive and bottom-up initiated interactions between public authorities and local actors. The key question in this paper is......: What characterises the new and innovative forms of citizen participation in urban planning in terms of innovation? And in what ways and to what degree is input from these processes fed into the formal planning processes? Theoretically, the paper is inspired by the concept of: ‘planning...

The important role of civil society groups in eco-innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Yan; Holgaard, Jette Egelund

2012-01-01

the role of civil society groups in eco-innovation by addressing the following research questions: Why is it necessary to stress that civil society groups are as important as university, industry and government in eco-innovation? What inspiration can “triple helix twins” and “quadruple helix” provide when...... groups are not only foundations for developing innovation – they can be actors themselves; the existence of semi-governmental organizations in the Chinese case company, which is categorized under the concept of NGOs, shows the limitations of the concept of civil society groups in exposing important......, as they are helpful not only to provide pressure and push industry onto a green track, but also as supporters and carriers of green business. Corporate social responsibility is proposed as a stepping-stone to engage civil society groups in broader eco-innovation activity. Originality/value – The paper starts...

Bio economy and entrepreneurial ecosystem patterns Case study for Romania - USH ProBusiness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Costin Lianu

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper is investigating various patterns of entrepreneurial relations and engagements  that may help the shift to bio economy  and the ways they can facilitate entrepreneurial understanding and access to markets and business opportunities in this field. It also investigate the role of universities and cluster in transfer of knowledge towards bio economy and possibilities of interaction making a case study on USH ProBusiness in Romania. Main conclusion of the paper is that participation of  entrepreneurs, especially SME but also large companies in active  Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EE   plays an essential role in transposing bio economy  from strategy to action but some regions may be well advanced  and other lagging behind. High trust and large EE in terms of networking are better fit to accelerate the knowledge and innovation process and universities may play a major role in this direction, as important catalyst.