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Bionics
Author: From Wikipedia
Bionics (also known as Biomimetics, Biognosis or Biomimicry, a short form
of Biomechanics - from the Greek word "bios" - pronounced "vios" -
which means life, and the word mechanics) is the application of methods and
systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and
modern technology.
This technology transfer is desirable because evolutionary pressure typically
forces natural systems to become highly optimized and efficient. A classical
example is the development of dirt- and water-repellent paint (coating) from
the observeration that the surface of the lotus flower plant is practically
unsticky for anything (lotus effect). Examples of bionics results in engineering
include hulls of boats imitating the skin membrane of dolphins, sonar, radar
and medical ultrasound imaging imitating echolocation of bats.
In the field of computer science, bionics approach has produced Cybernetics,
Artificial neuron, Artificial Neural Networks, Swarm intelligence. Evolutionary
computation was also motivated by bionics idea but it took the idea further
by simulating evolution 'in silico' and producing well optimized solutions
that had never appeared in nature.
It is estimated by Julian Vincent, professor of biomimetics at the University
of Bath in the UK, that "at present there is only a 10% overlap between
biology and technology in terms of the mechanisms used."
Methods
Often bionics approach emphasizes imitation of a biological structure rather
than a mere implementation of the same function. For example, in computer science,
cybernetics tries to model actual organic structures that make us intelligent,
while artificial intelligence tries to model the intelligent function regardless
of the particular way it can be achieved.
The conscious copying of examples and mechanisms from natural organisms and
ecologies is a form of applied case-based reasoning, treating nature itself
as a database of solutions that already work. Proponents argue that all natural
life forms minimize and ecological niches remove failures.
Although almost all engineering could be said to be a form of biomimicry,
the modern origins of this field are usually attributed to Buckminster Fuller
and its later codification as a field of study to Janine Benyus.
Roughly, we can distinguish three biological levels in biology after which
technology can be modelled:
Mimicking natural methods of manufacture of chemical compounds to create new
ones
Imitating mechanisms found in nature (velcro)
Studying organizational principles from social behaviour of organisms, such
as the flocking behaviour of birds or the emergent behaviour of bees and ants
Examples of biomimetics
Velcro is the most famous example of biomimetics. In 1948, the Swiss engineer
George de Mestral was cleaning his dog of burrs picked up on a walk when he
realized how the hooks of the burrs clung to the fur.
Leonardo da Vinci 's flying machines and ships are early examples of drawing
from nature in engineering.
Julian Vincent drew from the study of pinecones when he developed in 2004 "smart" clothing
that adapts to changing temperatures. "I wanted a nonliving system which
would respond to changes in moisture by changing shape," he said. "There
are several such systems in plants, but most are very small -- the pinecone
is the largest and therefore the easiest to work on." Pinecones respond
to warmer temperatures by opening their scales (to disperse their seeds). The
smart fabric does the same thing, opening up when it is warm, and shutting
tight when cold.
"Morphing airplane wings" that change shape according to the speed
and duration of flight have been designed in 2004 by biomimetic scientists from
Penn State University. The morphing wings were inspired by different bird species
that have differently shaped wings according to the speed at which they fly.
In order to change the shape and underlying structure of the airplane wings,
the researchers needed to make the overlaying skin also be able to change, which
their design does by covering the wings with fish-inspired scales that could
slide over each other.
Nanostructures and physical mechanisms that produce the shining color of butterfly
wings were reproduced in silicon by Greg Parker, professor of Electronics and
Computer Science at the University of Southampton and research student Luca
Plattner in the field of photonics, which is eletronics using photons as the
information carrier instead of electrons.
neuromorphic chips, silicon retinae or cochleae whose wiring is modelled after
real neural networks. S.a.: connectivity
Specific uses of the term
In medicine
Bionics is a term which refers to flow of ideas from biology to engineering
and vice versa. Hence, there are two slightly different points of view regarding
the meaning of the word.
In medicine, Bionics means the replacement or enhancement of organs or other
body parts by mechanical versions. Bionic implants differ from mere prostheses
by mimicking the original function very closely, or even surpassing it.
Bionics' German equivalent "Bionik" always takes the broader scope
in that it tries to develop engineering solutions from biological models. This
approach is motivated by the fact that biological solutions will always be
optimized by evolutionary forces.
While the technologies that make bionic implants possible are still in a very
early stage, a few bionic items already exist, the best known being the cochlear
implant, a device for deaf people. Some versions come quite close to "normal" hearing;
they can even work better than natural ears at background noise filtering.
By 2004 fully functional artificial hearts have been developed. Significant
further progress is expected to take place with the advent of nanotechnologies.
A well known example of a proposed nanodevice is a respirocyte, an artificial
red cell, designed (though not built yet) by Robert Freitas.
Bionics are a common element of science fiction, with The Six Million Dollar
Man as the probably best-known example.
Politics
A political form of biomimcry is bioregional democracy, wherein political borders
conform to natural ecoregions rather than human cultures or the outcomes
of prior conflicts.
Critics of these approaches often argue that ecological selection itself is
a poor model of minimizing manufacturing complexity or conflict, and that the
free market relies on conscious cooperation, agreement, and standards as much
as on efficiency - more analogous to sexual selection. Charles Darwin himself
contended that both were balanced in natural selection - although his contemporaries
often avoided frank talk about sex, or any suggestion that free market success
was based on persuasion not value.
Advocates, especially in the anti-globalization movement, argue that the mating-like
processes of standardization, financing and marketing, are already examples
of runaway evolution - rendering a system that appeals to the consumer but
which is inefficient at use of energy and raw materials. Biomimicry, they argue,
is an effective strategy to restore basic efficiency.
Biomimicry is also the second principle of Natural Capitalism.
Other uses
In a more specific meaning, it is a creativity technique that tries to use
biological prototypes to get ideas for engineering solutions. This approach
is motivated by the fact that biological organisms and their organs have been
well optimized by evolution.
A less common and maybe more recent meaning of the term "bionics" refers
to merging organism and machine. This approach results in a hybrid systems
combining biological and engineering parts, which can also be referred as cybernetic
organism (cyborg).
Quotes
"There are millions of years of research that can help us, in nature," -Anja-Karina
Pahl, professor at Bath University
"Nature has been conducting evolutionary experiments for millions of years,
so if we're lucky enough to find something close to what we require in nature,
then it's very likely to have been highly optimized, and we're unlikely to do
much better." -Greg Parker
"Mankind and industry can only benefit from bringing closer the study of
nature and the development of new technologies and designs." -Luca Plattner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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