Biomimetics and Living Machines: How Lessons from Nature can Transform Technology
Preksha Sanjay Madhva, Robotics Engineer
5 minute read
Nature is full of wondrous methods and mechanisms that allow for robust and adaptable solutions with intriguing creativity and unique approaches to problem-solving. These designs make perfect sense, having evolved and refined their efficiency and effectiveness over thousands of years. The relentless competition for survival has further spurred the evolution of innovative, energy-efficient strategies.
Biomimicry is the practice of learning from and imitating nature's designs and processes to solve human problems. It's essentially innovation inspired by nature. Biomimicry is important because natural designs are not only effective but also sustainable. By using biomimicry in design, we can create products and processes that are more efficient, durable, and environmentally friendly. Biomimicry can help us address some of the world's most pressing challenges, such as climate change and resource depletion. By incorporating nature's wisdom into our designs, we can create a more sustainable future.
For instance, some examples of nature's creativity is evident in the archerfish having near perfect aim when they shoot jets of water from their mouths, targeting prey above the surface of water because their visual processing is able to account for when the refractive index of water distorts the apparent position of its prey. Lotus leaves are self-cleaning and never seem to get dirty despite the plant itself growing in muddy waters, ensuring the chlorophyll gets abundant sunlight to feed the plant. Cockroaches are able to squeeze through cracks the size of two stacked pennies and still run at high speed by reorienting their legs completely out to their sides. Stenocara beetles survive in the desert by harvesting moisture that is collected from the morning dew through a pattern of nodules along its shell. Even termites, despite their destructive and pestilent nature, have a lot to teach us as they are one of the best at building elaborate cooling systems and ventilation to prepare their homes for a variety of climates.
Now imagine engineering designs inspired by the functional marvels of animals, plants, and even ecosystems. Thousands of years of biological evolution pushing the boundaries of innovation in technology. Seems fantastical? Well, it's already been proven as an excellent approach to design, and here are a few examples of how:
Biomimicry in Locomotion
Innovations inspired by nature (Festo Bionic Learning Network)
Studying the undulating body movements of eels has led to the development of underwater robots that can manoeuvre through water currents more efficiently by replicating the sidewinding motion of eels. Similarly, studying the leg movements of insects like cockroaches has resulted in robots that can traverse narrow terrains and seamlessly adapt to terrain that demand differing approaches for movement. Robolobster is a robotic lobster that uses artificial muscles called Nitinol to move on its own. It can navigate turbulent water and land by mimicking the motions of a real lobster, and can even search for and locate underwater mines using chemotaxis to guide its behaviour. The Venus Flyflap robot mimics the hingeless motion of a typical Venus flytrap plant while staying low in energy consumption.
Biomimicry in Structure/Morphology
Azure Kingfisher Ceyx azureus azureus, Julatten, Queensland, Australia (JJ Harrison)
The Tōkaidō Shinkansen high-speed line in Japan, with Mount Fuji in the background (MaedaAkihiko)
Kingfishers are able to silently dive into water to hunt while making minimal splash to avoid alerting their prey. To avoid "tunnel boom" and increase the overall aerodynamics of high-speed bullet trains, the blunt nose of older bullet trains were remodeled after kingfisher beaks. Shark skin is covered in dermal denticles, essentially flexible layers of tiny teeth. When in motion, this adaptation creates low pressure zones resulting in the shark getting pulled forward and reducing drag. This method was used in the Speedo biomimetic sharkskin swimsuits for Olympic swimmers in 2008 that was notoriously banned in future Olympic competitions and considered an unfair advantage for contestants as about 94% of the Olympic medals that year were won by contestants wearing the biomimetic suit. Additionally, due to the antimicrobial nature of these dermal denticles, a biomimetic shark skin material called Sharklet is used at the bottom of marine vessels to prevent growth of marine life like barnacles at the bottom of these vessels.
Biomimicry in Grasping
Researchers have drawn inspiration from the gecko's ability to climb walls to develop robots with dry adhesives that can grip various surfaces. Microscopic hair called setae on the gecko's feet create strong van der Waals forces, allowing them to adhere even to smooth surfaces. Using nanotechnology, biomimetic materials can be made that mimic this structure, enabling robots to grasp and manipulate delicate objects, even grasp objects larger and heavier than themselves with minimal energy required. This concept is applied in REACCH, Kall Morris Inc’s robotic end effector that is capable of grasping space orbital debris unprepared with minimal energy consumption for grip strength due to gecko material along the tentacle-like arms.
Biomimicry in Sensing
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Whiskers on mammal faces are highly sensitive and play a crucial role in navigation and object recognition. Robots equipped with whisker-like sensors can perceive their surroundings in low-visibility environments. These sensors can be made from piezoelectric materials that bend when pressure is applied, mimicking the way whiskers detect touch. Crickets can detect air-flows using the filiform mechanosensory hairs that project from their abdomens. The hairs are attached to a plate beneath them, which varies in capacitance as the hairs move, producing an electrical signal. This information can locate nearby predators, as well as their velocity and direction of travel. Researchers were able to build an array of sensors that mimic this, providing a type of camera to construct and depict the airflow by processing the collective data from each of the hairs. Spiders are able to detect vibrations through an array of parallel slits along their legs. Sensors have been developed that mimic this through a thin film of platinum on a polymer sheet with nanoscale cracks. When slight disturbances shift these cracks, the sensor can pick it up as a change in the electrical conductivity of the platinum sheet, resulting in an ultra-sensitive vibration detector.
Biomimicry in Behaviour
Swarm robotics and collaborative robots are fields rife with bio-inspired design. From mimicking the hierarchy of bees or the collective navigation of swarms of fish, behaviour in nature has been used as inspiration in learning models for AI used in assisted care and customer-interactive robots. Phenotypic plasticity, the social behaviour of solitary insects that only form groups when in a situation that benefits from greater numbers, could be used to more efficiently handle a range of tasks encountered so the whole group of robots do not need to stay together to complete tasks and can maintain a level of independence.
Living Machines
MIT engineers have developed a new spring, shown in Petri dish, that maximizes the work of natural muscles (Felice Frankel)
Living muscle cells or tissues are incorporated into robotic systems to create biohybrid machines. These cells can contract and relax, allowing the robot to move in a more natural and efficient way. For instance, a flexible skeleton has been developed using a spring-like device that could be used as a basic skeleton-like module for almost any muscle-bound robot. The new spring - Flexure, is designed to maximize the amount of movement a muscle can naturally produce. The researchers are now adapting and combining multiple Flexures to build precise, articulated, and reliable robots, powered by natural muscles and providing all the benefits of soft robotics, potentially even capable of being used as a minimally invasive surgical robot.
Challenges
Biomimicry holds immense promise for solving complex human challenges, but translating this potential into reality requires overcoming some hurdles. One challenge lies in bridging the gap between the intricate biological systems we observe in nature and their practical application in design. Deciphering these systems and translating their ingenious functionalities into feasible engineering solutions necessitates a deep understanding of both biology and engineering principles.
Another hurdle lies in ensuring the commercial viability of biomimicry solutions. Biomimicry-inspired designs or materials often necessitate venturing beyond conventional manufacturing processes, which can present challenges in terms of scalability and cost-effectiveness. This necessitates close collaboration between designers, engineers, and business stakeholders to ensure that biomimicry-inspired solutions are not only innovative but also translate into practical and commercially viable products.
Finally, effective communication and collaboration across disciplines on an international scale are paramount for successful biomimicry projects. Scientists must effectively communicate their research into the intricacies of biological systems to engineers and designers, who then need to translate this knowledge into functional designs. Fostering a collaborative environment that bridges these knowledge gaps is crucial for bringing biomimicry innovations to life.
Ultimately, biomimicry offers engineers and designers a powerful toolkit to tackle complex challenges in a sustainable way with systems and products that are more efficient, require fewer resources and energy costs, and have a reduced environmental impact. As we strive to create a more sustainable future, biomimicry can be a guiding light, helping us design ingenious innovations for a better tomorrow.
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