Journal Article
Bioinspired design in research: Evolution as beta-testing
Flammang, B.E.
Record Number:
6011
Year:
2022
Journal:
Integrative and Comparative Biology
Pages:
1164-1173
Volume:
62 (5)
Notes:
From the symposium Best practices for bioinspired design education, research and product development
Copytight The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved
Abstract:
Modern fish represent over 400 million years of evolutionary processes that, in many cases, resulted in selection for phenotypes with particular performance advantages. While this certainly occurred without a trajectory for optimization, it cannot be denied that some morphologies allow organisms to be more effective than others at tasks like evading predation, securing food, and ultimately passing on their genes. In this way, evolution generates a series of iterative prototypes with varyingbut measurable success in accomplishing objectives. Therefore, careful analysis of fundamental properties underlying biological phenomena allows us to fast-track the development of bioinspired technologies aiming to accomplish similar objectives. At the same time, bioinspired designs can be a way to explore evolutionary processes, by better understanding the performance space
within which a given morphology operates. Through strong interdisciplinary collaborations, we can develop novel bioinspired technologies that not only excel as robotic devices but also teach us something about biology and the rules of life in the process
Times Cited:
1
Relevent Species: