Biomimetics: Reality, Challenges, and Outlook - Biomimetics: Biologically Inspired Technologies - page 497

Table 20.1 Characteristic Similarities of Biology and Engineering Systems

Biology Engineering Bioengineering, Biomimetics, Bionics, and Biomechanics

Body System Systems with multifunctional materials and structures are

developed emulating the capability of biological systems

Skeleton and bones Structure and

support struts

Support structures are part of every human made system.
Further, exoskeletons are developed to augment the oper-
ation of humans for medical, military, and other applications
(Chapter 6)

Brain Computer Advances in computers are being made modeling and emu-

lating the operation of the human brain, for example, the
adaptation of the association approach of memory search in
the brain to make faster data access (Chapters 3 to 5)

Nervous system Electric systems and

neural networks

Our nervous system is somewhat analogous to electrical sys-
tems, especially when it is incorporated with neural networks.
The connections of elements in both systems are based on
significantly different characteristics

Intelligence Artificial intelligence There are numerous aspects of artificial intelligence that have

been inspired by biology including: Augmented Perception,
Augmented Reality, Autonomous Systems, Computational
Intelligence, Expert Systems, Fuzzy Logic, Intelligent Control,
Learning and Reasoning Systems, Machine Consciousness,
Neural Networks, Path Planning, Programming, Task Plan-
ning, Simulation, Symbolic Models, etc. (Chapters 3 to 5)

Senses Sensors Computer vision, artificial vision, acoustic and ultrasonic

technology, radar, and other proximity detectors all have dir-
ect biological analogies. However, at their best, the capability
of the human-made sensors is nowhere near as good as
biosensors (Chapters 11 and 17)

Muscles Actuators Electroactive polymers are artificial actuators with very close

functional similarity to natural muscles (Chapters 2, 9, and 10)

Electrochemical
power generation

Rechargeable
batteries

The use of biological materials, namely, carbohydrates, fats,
and sugars to produce power will offer mechanical systems
with enormous advantages

DNA Computer code Efforts are being made to develop artificial equivalent of DNA

(Chapters 7 and 8)

controlled camouflage, and materials self-healing. One of the challenging capabilities will be to
create reconfigurable systems that match or exceed the butterfly life stages that include egg,
caterpillar, cocoon, and butterfly. Other challenges include making miniature devices that can fly
with enormous maneuvering capability like a dragonfly; adhere to smooth and rough walls like a
gecko; camouflage by adapting itself to the texture, patterns, and shape of the surrounding
environment like a chameleon, or reconfigure its body to travel through very narrow tubes like
an octopus. Further challenges also include processing complex 3D images in real time; recycling
mobility power for highly efficient operation and locomotion; self-replication; self-growing using
resources from the surrounding terrain; chemical generation and storage of energy; and many such
capabilities for which biology offers a model for science and engineering inspiration. While many
aspects of biology are still beyond our understanding, significant progress has been made.
Biological designs and processes follow the template that is written in the organisms' DNA,
which defines the building blocks of all living organisms. This archival storage of construction
codes of all organisms' is stored in the nucleus of all living cells and it consists of strands of nucleic
acids: guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine. These four nucleic acids are assembled as long
sentences of biological laws and they guide the function of living cells through a simple universal
process. Information contained in the DNA is transcribed in the nucleus by RNA polymerase and
sent out of the nucleus as messenger RNA that is translated at the ribosomes into amino acids, the
building blocks of proteins. Proteins are the foundation of all life: from cellular to organism levels
and they play a central role in the manifestation of populations, ecosystems, and global dynamics.
Designers of human-made systems are seeking to produce sequence-specific polymers that consti-