Bio Inspired Design

The course Bio-Inspired Design gives an overview of non-conventional mechanical approaches in nature and shows how this knowledge can lead to more creativity in mechanical design and to better (simpler, smaller, more robust) solutions than with conventional technology. The course discusses a large number of biological organisms with smart constructions and unusual internal mechanisms and presents a number of technical examples and designs of bio-inspired (surgical) instruments, devices, robots, vehicles and machines.

Examples of topics:

Life and its creation, engineering in biology, strength at low weight, stiffness with soft structures, robustness and redundancy, storing energy in compliant springs, energetically efficient muscle configurations, clamping with hands, claws, suction, glue, dry- and wet adhesion, biological vibration systems, biological walking, swimming, crawling and flying, locomotion of micro- and single-celled-organisms, biological sensors, soft robots, walking robots, flying robots, snake-like surgical instruments and devices.

To teach students how to create smart and truly innovative designs, students are trained with the ACCREx creative design method that was developed at the ME department Biomechanical Engineering. Alternating intuitive brainstorming with logical, scientific abstracting and categorizing, ACRREx structures and guides a design process towards fundamentally new design solutions.

Structure of the course:

1. Engineering en biology

- Life and its creation

- Finding biological information

- Creating creativity

2. Bioconstruction (how are creatures constructed)

- Mechanical stiffness en motion

- Hydrostatic stiffness en motion

3. Biopropulsion (how do creatures move)

- Flying at macro- en microscales

- Floating, rolling en adhesive devices

- Sliding, crawling en snake-like devices

- Walking, compliant devices en compliant actuation

3. Bioclamping (how do creatures grasp)

- Friction en biological grasping

- Biological hands en prosthetic hands

- Biological adhesion