More and more, the patterns and scientific principles of natural living systems are being mimicked and exploited in man-made engineered systems and products. That trend is now starting to appear in the curricula design of engineering schools. This will be the first broad-based introduction to the influence of nature and biological systems in how things are designed and made, from new design paradigms and structural systems to "self-healing materials" and "smart" systems and robotics. Presented as a traditional textbook, with accompanying Solutions and Instructor's Manuals, it will offer both students and professionals new to the subject a window into the new world of engineering. The reader will find: * A general overview of the relationship between living systems and engineering and how biosystems can and do affect engineering design, from structural materials to thermal-fluid behavior to systems engineering * Applications of bio-systems to robotics and biomedical engineering. * End of chapter problems and exercises to reinforce design concepts and expand understanding.

Master simple to advanced biomaterials and structures with this essential text. Featuring topics ranging from bionanoengineered materials to bio-inspired structures for spacecraft and bio-inspired robots, and covering issues such as motility, sensing, control and morphology, this highly illustrated text walks the reader through key scientific and practical engineering principles, discussing properties, applications and design. Presenting case studies for the design of materials and structures at the nano, micro, meso and macro-scales, and written by some of the leading experts on the subject, this is the ideal introduction to this emerging field for students in engineering and science as well as researchers.

Bio-inspired Algorithms for Engineering builds a bridge between the proposed bio-inspired algorithms developed in the past few decades and their applications in real-life problems, not only in an academic context, but also in the real world. The book proposes novel algorithms to solve real-life, complex problems, combining well-known bio-inspired algorithms with new concepts, including both rigorous analyses and unique applications. It covers both theoretical and practical methodologies, allowing readers to learn more about the implementation of bio-inspired algorithms. This book is a useful resource for both academic and industrial engineers working on artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, vision, classification, pattern recognition, identification and control. - Presents real-time implementation and simulation results for all the proposed schemes - Offers a comparative analysis and rigorous analysis of the convergence of proposed algorithms - Provides a guide for implementing each application at the end of each chapter - Includes illustrations, tables and figures that facilitate the reader's comprehension of the proposed schemes and applications

Human Modelling for Bio-inspired Robotics: Mechanical Engineering in Assistive Technologies presents the most cutting-edge research outcomes in the area of mechanical and control aspects of human functions for macro-scale (human size) applications. Intended to provide researchers both in academia and industry with key content on which to base their developments, this book is organized and written by senior experts in their fields. Human Modeling for Bio-Inspired Robotics: Mechanical Engineering in Assistive Technologies offers a system-level investigation into human mechanisms that inspire the development of assistive technologies and humanoid robotics, including topics in modelling of anatomical, musculoskeletal, neural and cognitive systems, as well as motor skills, adaptation and integration. Each chapter is written by a subject expert and discusses its background, research challenges, key outcomes, application, and future trends. This book will be especially useful for academic and industry researchers in this exciting field, as well as graduate-level students to bring them up to speed with the latest technology in mechanical design and control aspects of the area. Previous knowledge of the fundamentals of kinematics, dynamics, control, and signal processing is assumed. Presents the most recent research outcomes in the area of mechanical and control aspects of human functions for macro-scale (human size) applications Covers background information and fundamental concepts of human modelling Includes modelling of anatomical, musculoskeletal, neural and cognitive systems, as well as motor skills, adaptation, integration, and safety issues Assumes previous knowledge of the fundamentals of kinematics, dynamics, control, and signal processing

From simple cases such as hook and latch attachments found in Velcro to articulated-wing flying vehicles, biology often has been used to inspire many creative design ideas. The scientific challenge now is to transform the paradigm into a repeatable and scalable methodology. Biologically Inspired Design explores computational techniques and tools that can help integrate the method into design practice. With an inspiring foreword from Janine Benyus, Biologically Inspired Design contains a dozen chapters written by some of the leading scholars in the transdisciplinary field of bioinspired design, such as Frank Fish, Julian Vincent and Jeannette Yen from biology, and Amaresk Chakrabarti, Satyandra Gupta and Li Shu from engineering. Based in part on discussions at two workshops sponsored by the United States National Science Foundation, this volume introduces and develops several methods and tools for bioinspired design including: Information-processing theories, Natural language techniques, Knowledge-based tools, and Functional approaches and Pedagogical techniques. By exploring these fundamental theories, techniques and tools for supporting biologically inspired design, this volume provides a comprehensive resource for design practitioners wishing to explore the paradigm, an invaluable guide to design educators interested in teaching the method, and a preliminary reading for design researchers wanting to investigate bioinspired design.

This book covers a range of basic and advanced topics in software engineering. The field has undergone several phases of change and improvement since its invention, and there is significant ongoing research in software development, addressing aspects such as analysis, design, testing and maintenance. Rather than focusing on a single aspect of software engineering, this book provides a systematic overview of recent techniques, including requirement gathering in the form of story points in agile software, and bio-inspired techniques for estimating the effort, cost, and time required for software development. As such it is a valuable resource for new researchers interested in advances in software engineering — particularly in the area of bio-inspired techniques.

This book covers the latest bio-inspired materials synthesis techniques and biomedical applications that are advancing the field of tissue engineering. Bio-inspired concepts for biomedical engineering are at the forefront of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Scientists, engineers and physicians are working together to replicate the sophisticated hierarchical organization and adaptability found in nature and selected by evolution to recapitulate the cellular microenvironment. This book demonstrates the dramatic clinical breakthroughs that have been made in engineering all four of the major tissue types and modulating the immune system. Part I (Engineering Bio-inspired Material Microenvironments) covers Bio-inspired Presentation of Chemical Cues, Bio-inspired Presentation of Physical Cues, and Bio-inspired Integration of Natural Materials. Part II (Bio-inspired Tissue Engineering) addresses tissue engineering in epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, connective tissue, and the immune system.

Bio-inspired design (also called biomimetics or biomimicry) is a promising approach for the development of innovative technical products – not only in mechanical engineering, but also in areas such as material science and even computer engineering. Innovations such as humanoid robots or multifunctional materials have shown the potential of bio-inspired design. However, in industrial companies, bio-inspired design remains an “exotic” approach which is rarely used in innovation practice. One reason for this is a lack of knowledge on how to implement bio-inspired design in practice. Therefore, this guide book was written to explain the application of bio-inspired design methods and tools. The target groups are professional engineers and biologists, as well as students of both disciplines. The book presents a selection of methods for specific activities in bio-inspired design, namely: planning a bio-inspired design project, abstraction, search, analysis and comparison, and transfer of analogies. Factsheets give an overview of each method, its advantages and challenges, and its suitability for different bio-inspired design approaches and scenarios. To facilitate understanding, all methods are explained with the help of the same example. In addition, ten best practice examples show the practical applicability of bio-inspired design.

A comprehensive introduction to new approaches in artificial intelligence and robotics that are inspired by self-organizing biological processes and structures. New approaches to artificial intelligence spring from the idea that intelligence emerges as much from cells, bodies, and societies as it does from evolution, development, and learning. Traditionally, artificial intelligence has been concerned with reproducing the abilities of human brains; newer approaches take inspiration from a wider range of biological structures that that are capable of autonomous self-organization. Examples of these new approaches include evolutionary computation and evolutionary electronics, artificial neural networks, immune systems, biorobotics, and swarm intelligence—to mention only a few. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the emerging field of biologically inspired artificial intelligence that can be used as an upper-level text or as a reference for researchers. Each chapter presents computational approaches inspired by a different biological system; each begins with background information about the biological system and then proceeds to develop computational models that make use of biological concepts. The chapters cover evolutionary computation and electronics; cellular systems; neural systems, including neuromorphic engineering; developmental systems; immune systems; behavioral systems—including several approaches to robotics, including behavior-based, bio-mimetic, epigenetic, and evolutionary robots; and collective systems, including swarm robotics as well as cooperative and competitive co-evolving systems. Chapters end with a concluding overview and suggested reading.

Bioinspired Legged Locomotion: Models, Concepts, Control and Applications explores the universe of legged robots, bringing in perspectives from engineering, biology, motion science, and medicine to provide a comprehensive overview of the field. With comprehensive coverage, each chapter brings outlines, and an abstract, introduction, new developments, and a summary. Beginning with bio-inspired locomotion concepts, the book's editors present a thorough review of current literature that is followed by a more detailed view of bouncing, swinging, and balancing, the three fundamental sub functions of locomotion. This part is closed with a presentation of conceptual models for locomotion. Next, the book explores bio-inspired body design, discussing the concepts of motion control, stability, efficiency, and robustness. The morphology of legged robots follows this discussion, including biped and quadruped designs. Finally, a section on high-level control and applications discusses neuromuscular models, closing the book with examples of applications and discussions of performance, efficiency, and robustness. At the end, the editors share their perspective on the future directions of each area, presenting state-of-the-art knowledge on the subject using a structured and consistent approach that will help researchers in both academia and industry formulate a better understanding of bioinspired legged robotic locomotion and quickly apply the concepts in research or products. - Presents state-of-the-art control approaches with biological relevance - Provides a thorough understanding of the principles of organization of biological locomotion - Teaches the organization of complex systems based on low-dimensional motion concepts/control - Acts as a guideline reference for future robots/assistive devices with legged architecture - Includes a selective bibliography on the most relevant published articles