Fostering Function-Sharing Using Bioinspired Product Architecture

2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Devesh Bhasin ◽  
Spencer T. Behmer ◽  
Daniel A. McAdams
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Animal Kingdom ◽  
Outlet Port ◽  
Biological Structures ◽  
Single Structure ◽  
Design Function ◽  
Function Sharing

Abstract This work deduces principles of bioinspired product architecture to effectively leverage biological function-sharing in engineering design. Function-sharing enables a single structure to perform multiple functions and can improve the performance characteristics of a system. The process of evolution via natural selection has led to the emergence of function-sharing adaptations in biological systems. However, the current practice of bioinspired function-sharing is largely limited to the solution-driven imitation of biological structures. This work aims to overcome such limitations by performing a function-based analysis of biological product architectures. First, a phylogenetic approach is used to select generalized case studies from the animal kingdom. Next, the product architectures of the selected case studies are then modeled using function modeling and analyzed by clustering the identified functions into modules. A function-based categorization of the sampled biological modules reveals the presence of four types of modules in the biological case studies. Analyzing the function-sharing scenarios associated with each type of biological module enables us to deduce four guidelines for bioinspired development and arrangement of function-sharing modules. Finally, a demonstration study applies the guidelines to the design of an inlet–outlet port for a washer–dryer system. The deduced guidelines can enable engineers to identify function-sharing scenarios in the early stages of product design and reduce the need to imitate biological structures for function-sharing.

Fostering Function-Sharing Using Bioinspired Product Architecture

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devesh Bhasin ◽  
Daniel A. McAdams
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Animal Kingdom ◽  
Classification Framework ◽  
Single Structure ◽  
Design Function ◽  
Function Sharing

Abstract In this work, we deduce principles of bioinspired product architectures to leverage biological function-sharing in engineering design. Function-sharing allows multiple functions to be performed by a single structure and can lead to improvements in cost, weight and other performance characteristics. Billions of years of evolution has led to the emergence of function-sharing adaptations in biological systems. However, the current practice of bioinspired function-sharing is largely limited to the solution-driven mimicry of biological structures. In order to effectively leverage biological function-sharing in engineering design, we model and analyze the product architectures of five generalized case studies from the animal kingdom. Further, we create a categorization framework to explore patterns in the function-sharing scenarios associated with biological product architectures. Our results indicate the existence of four types of modules in the biological systems from the animal kingdom. We use the classification framework to deduce four guidelines for the bioinspiration of product architectures. The deduced guidelines can allow engineers to identify and implement novel function-sharing scenarios in early stages of product design. The application of the guidelines has been demonstrated by using a case study.

A product architecture-based tool for bioinspired function-sharing

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devesh Bhasin ◽  
Daniel A. McAdams ◽  
Astrid Layton
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Biological Structures ◽  
Structure Tree ◽  
Single Structure ◽  
Function Sharing ◽  
Architectural Characteristics

Abstract In this work, we show that bioinspired function-sharing can be effectively applied in engineering design by abstracting and emulating the product architecture of biological systems that exhibit function-sharing. Systems that leverage function-sharing enable multiple functions to be performed by a single structure. Billions of years of evolution has led to the development of function-sharing adaptations in biological systems. Currently, engineers leverage biological function-sharing by imitating serendipitously encountered biological structures. As a result, utilizing bioinspired function-sharing remains limited to some specific engineering problems. To overcome this limitation, we propose the Function-Behavior-Structure tree as a tool to simultaneously abstract both biological adaptations and the product architecture of biological systems. The tool uses information from an existing bioinspired design abstraction tool and an existing product architecture representation tool. A case study demonstrates the tool's ability to abstract the product architectural characteristics of function-sharing biological systems. The abstracted product architectural characteristics are then shown to facilitate problem-driven bioinspiration of function-sharing. The availability of a problem-driven approach may reduce the need to imitate biological structures to leverage biological function-sharing in engineering design. This work is a step forward in analyzing biological product architectures to inspire engineering design.

scholarly journals Imitate: Remediating Glass as an Artistic Medium for Material Imitation

Arts ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Jessamy Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Material Testing ◽  
Artistic Practice ◽  
Practice Based Research ◽  
Artistic Medium ◽  
Unique Ability ◽  
Precious Stones

Glass has a unique ability to imitate other materials; cross-pollinating with other disciplines to refresh and recreate itself. The creative possibilities of creating glass that imitates other materials such as ceramic, paper, metal, wood, stone, plastic and semi-precious stones are vast. The assertion of this paper is that the use of imitation is a necessary and definitive act within creative artistic practice. Following a range of historical examples to set the context for this article, a range of contemporary glass artists that use glass as a medium for imitation will be introduced and documented through a series of artists case studies. Finally, I will present my current practice-based research into glass as a medium for imitation. I will discuss the material testing and research that has been carried out and introduce two new bodies of artworks that I have developed based on the theme of glass as an artistic medium for material imitation.

A Critical Discussion of the Use of Antiseptics in Acute Traumatic Wounds

2005 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Patient Outcome ◽  
Cell Culture ◽  
Wound Healing ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Human Case ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Scientific Study ◽  
Potential Harm

Approximately 10 million patients with traumatic wounds are treated in US emergency departments annually. The practice of wound cleansing or antiseptic management has a dichotomous history anchored in tradition and science. The merits of antiseptic fluid irrigation of traumatic wounds have received little scientific study. The purpose of this article is to critically evaluate the potential harm to patient outcome by the use of antiseptics on acute wounds. First, animal and cell culture data that describe the effects of topical antiseptics on wound healing are offered. Second, human case studies are presented to illustrate the potential harm of the indiscriminate use of antiseptics. Finally, data from previously published reviews are presented and evaluated for clinically based evidence to justify the current practice of antiseptic use in acute traumatic wounds. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 95(2): 148–153, 2005)

Designing Robust Systems Using Bioinspired Product Architecture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devesh Bhasin ◽  
David Staack ◽  
Daniel A. McAdams
Keyword(s):  
Biological Systems ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Engineering Systems ◽  
Modular Product ◽  
Engineered Systems ◽  
Function Sharing ◽  
Robust Systems ◽  
Random Failures

Abstract This work analyzes the role of bioinspired product architecture in facilitating the development of robust engineering systems. Existing studies on bioinspired product architecture largely focus on inspiring biology-like function-sharing in engineering design. This work shows that the guidelines for bioinspired product architecture, originally developed for bioinspiration of function-sharing, may induce robustness to random failures in engineered systems. To quantify such an improvement, this study utilizes Functional Modeling to derive modular equivalents of biological systems. The application of the bioinspired product architecture guidelines is then modeled as a transition from the modular product architecture of the modular equivalents to the actual product architecture of the biological systems. The robustness of the systems to random failures is analyzed after the application of each guideline by modeling the systems as directed networks. A singular robustness metric is then introduced to quantify the degradation in the expected functionality of systems upon increasing severity of random disruptions. Our results show that a system with bioinspired product architecture exhibits a gradual degradation in expected functionality upon increasing the number of failed modules as compared to an equivalent system with a one-to-one mapping of functions to modules. The findings are validated by designing and analyzing a COVID-19 breathalyzer as a case study.

Introduction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Rachel K. Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Phase Model ◽  
General Introduction ◽  
The Core

This chapter provides a general introduction and overview to the book. It sets out the main contention that digital technology has moved from being an afterthought for campaigns to being at the core of current practice, and how this has occurred over a twenty-year period. It introduces the four-phase model of campaign change that anchors the book, and structures the analysis in the subsequent chapters. It explains the concepts of apoliticos and hypernormality that inform the key conclusions of the study. Finally, it presents a summary of the chapters and explains how they develop and how they apply the four-phase model to the four national case studies.

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