Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
ance and behavior but with capabilities that are only limited by the artist's imagination and
creativity. Generally, such animated creatures do not have to obey the laws of physics, and they
can perform unrealistic tasks that defy gravity and other forces of nature. However, cartoons can
indicate future advances in biomimetic technology. While the operation of biomimetic robots could
use some of the kinematic algorithms that are well developed by the animation industry, there are
many issues that need to be addressed when making actual robots. These issues include control,
stability, feedback, vibration suppression, effect of impact, power, mass, volume, obstacle avoid-
ance, environmental conditions, workspace, and other real-world requirements. In order to address
these issues without the costly process of making and testing real robots, one can use computer
simulations, in which the laws of physics are accurately represented.
Computer simulation has become a critical development tool that can be used to test the
behavior of simulated system and rapidly make modifications without the high cost of fabrication
and testing. The analytical phase is followed by rapid prototyping and other procedures of
accelerated software development. The development of computers and analytical tools, including
numerical and logical models, has made possible a very powerful simulated representation of real-
world activity. Such tools are used to investigate the performance of complex systems, and address
such parameters as thermal, aerodynamic, mechanics, material behavior, and time-dependent
effects. Also, electronic and mechanical issues of driving and operating the developed systems
can be integrated into the simulation model and studied on the computer. Testing a real-world
system can be prohibitively expensive, or even impossible for situations in which making changes
can be very difficult and time consuming. Also, simulated testing to the point of failure can be
repeated many times without serious consequences to the tested systems. An example includes the
simulation of a car crash into a wall, in which safety engineers evaluate potential designs. The
advantage is that it reduces the number of real cars that may need to be instrumented and sacrificed.
Other examples of simulated systems include the response of an aircraft structure to bird strikes,
and the effect of loads on mechanical systems and new products. Because of the complexity of
products, their behavior cannot be perfectly modeled. Therefore, test products must still be
physically built and tested to destruction.
20.4.2
Robots as an Integral Part of our Society
Making biomimetic robots requires attention to technical, philosophical, and social issues. Inspir-
ation from science fiction sets expectations that will continually be bound by reality and the state of
the art. Making biomimetic robots is the electro-mechanical analog of biological cloning. Being
increasingly capable, the development of biomimetic robots, or the performance of artificial
cloning, raises issues of concern with regard to questionable implementations. This issue may
become a topic of public debate in years and may reach the level that is currently involved with the
topics of fetal stem cells and human cloning. As biomimetic robots with human characteristics are
becoming more an engineering reality, there may be a growing need to equip them with limited
self-defense and controlled-termination. In parallel, there may be a rise in potential use of such
robots for unlawful applications, and proper attention may be required by lawmakers to head off
this possibility in order to assure that such robots are used for positive applications. As this need
begins to rise, it will become more important to give serious attention to the laws of Asimov (1950)
that he defined for robots. These laws address the human concern that robots may be designed to
harm people. According to these laws, the desired status of robots is as slaves to humanity, where
they are allowed to protect themselves only as long as no human is physically hurt. While these
laws reflect the desire to see ''peaceful'' robots as productive support tools it might not be realistic
to expect them to be designed only as Asimov's law-obedient robots. One would expect that some
robots would be designed by various governments to perform military and law enforcement tasks
that may involve violation of these laws.
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