Meeting Abstract
Biologically inspired design takes superlatives of Nature and translates into designs and engineering processes. Bio inspired design avoids design fixation by starting off with multiple sources of bio inspiration. In our class, each student searches for phylogenetically related, convergently evolved and champion adaptors for a function of interest, e.g. capability to stick and detach or be seen or unseen. Often, design rules in nature are found using phylogenetic and convergent evolutionary analyses to find common patterns leading to similar functions for deep bio inspired designs. Once key articles are found for each organism, the student performs a functional decomposition to define how the behavior of interest occurs. Then – as a team of 5 interdisciplinary majors, they have a total of at least 25 sources of bio inspiration. To organize the information into a useful format, a species x function matrix is constructed where each function is linked to the functional decomposition that details how that function is achieved. To invent a new bio inspired design requires the students to find key patterns and abstract that to an application. Evaluation of designs based on creativity and analogical goodness-of-fit will be examined. Some tricks of the trade that promoted interdisciplinary learning and engagement in education include: cognitive dissonance, functional matrices, pattern abstraction, identification of key levers. Consideration of performance and scalability are applied to test credibility vs technology readiness level [TRL] of the final designs. Teaching this course gives value to Nature through this education and research avenue.
