Principles and Algorithms for Natural and Engineered Systems

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perinkulam S. Krishnaprasad
Keyword(s):  
Engineered Systems

Novel biological removal of hazardous chemicals at trace levels

2000 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
pp. 49-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.L. McCarty
Keyword(s):  
Plug Flow ◽  
Chlorinated Solvents ◽  
Biological Removal ◽  
Sanitary Landfills ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Trace Chemicals ◽  
Engineered Systems ◽  
Biological Methods ◽  
Aerobic And Anaerobic ◽  
Flow Treatment

Of recent concern is the removal of toxic compounds in wastewaters, soils, and groundwater to concentrations in the low microgram per litre level or less. Threshold limits to bioremediation exist and must be considered in biological treatment schemes to achieve such limits. These limits may be related to reaction kinetics or thermodynamics. Techniques for removing compounds below threshold levels exist that rely on appropriate approaches such as plug flow treatment. Novel biological methods exist for removal of refractory contaminants to low levels. Examples are provided for removal of trace levels of chlorinated solvents, such as tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE), that employ dehalorespiration under anaerobic conditions or cometabolism under aerobic conditions. These approaches are currently being used in engineered systems or through natural attenuation for remediation of soils and groundwater. Successful results offer insights for similar removals of trace chemicals in both aerobic and anaerobic biological systems for treatment of wastewaters and sanitary landfills.

Perception

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Z. Leibo ◽  
Tomaso Poggio
Keyword(s):  
Computational Neuroscience ◽  
Feature Detection ◽  
Pedestrian Detection ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Catching Up ◽  
Feature Detectors ◽  
Recognition Systems ◽  
Engineered Systems ◽  
Perceptual Systems ◽  
The Brain

This chapter provides an overview of biological perceptual systems and their underlying computational principles focusing on the sensory sheets of the retina and cochlea and exploring how complex feature detection emerges by combining simple feature detectors in a hierarchical fashion. We also explore how the microcircuits of the neocortex implement such schemes pointing out similarities to progress in the field of machine vision driven deep learning algorithms. We see signs that engineered systems are catching up with the brain. For example, vision-based pedestrian detection systems are now accurate enough to be installed as safety devices in (for now) human-driven vehicles and the speech recognition systems embedded in smartphones have become increasingly impressive. While not being entirely biologically based, we note that computational neuroscience, as described in this chapter, makes up a considerable portion of such systems’ intellectual pedigree.

scholarly journals A Review of Methods to Study Resilience of Complex Engineering and Engineered Systems

IEEE Access ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 87775-87799 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Neda Naghshbandi ◽  
Liz Varga ◽  
Alan Purvis ◽  
Richard Mcwilliam ◽  
Edmondo Minisci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex Engineering ◽  
Engineered Systems

scholarly journals On the Wireless Microwave Sensing of Bacterial Membrane Potential in Microfluidic-Actuated Platforms

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3420
Author(s):  
Marc Jofre ◽  
Lluís Jofre ◽  
Luis Jofre-Roca
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Potential ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Membrane Potentials ◽  
Electromagnetic Properties ◽  
Bacterial Membrane ◽  
Microfluidic Platforms ◽  
Bacterial Membranes ◽  
Wireless Monitoring ◽  
Bacterial Dynamics ◽  
Engineered Systems

The investigation of the electromagnetic properties of biological particles in microfluidic platforms may enable microwave wireless monitoring and interaction with the functional activity of microorganisms. Of high relevance are the action and membrane potentials as they are some of the most important parameters of living cells. In particular, the complex mechanisms of a cell’s action potential are comparable to the dynamics of bacterial membranes, and consequently focusing on the latter provides a simplified framework for advancing the current techniques and knowledge of general bacterial dynamics. In this work, we provide a theoretical analysis and experimental results on the microwave detection of microorganisms within a microfluidic-based platform for sensing the membrane potential of bacteria. The results further advance the state of microwave bacteria sensing and microfluidic control and their implications for measuring and interacting with cells and their membrane potentials, which is of great importance for developing new biotechnologically engineered systems and solutions.

scholarly journals A perspective on corrosion of multi-principal element alloys

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Birbilis ◽  
S. Choudhary ◽  
J. R. Scully ◽  
M. L. Taheri
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
High Resistance ◽  
Metallic Alloys ◽  
Harsh Environments ◽  
Principal Element ◽  
Corrosion Resistant ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
Recent Activity ◽  
Engineered Systems ◽  
Corrosion And Oxidation

AbstractMetallic alloys are critical to essentially all advanced technologies and engineered systems. The well-documented impact of corrosion (and oxidation) of alloys, remains a significant industrial and economic challenge, year on year. Recent activity in the field of metallurgy has revealed a class of metallic alloys, termed multi principal element alloys (MPEAs) that present unique physical properties. Such MPEAs have in many instances also demonstrated a high resistance to corrosion – which may permit the broader use of MPEAs as corrosion resistant alloys (CRAs) in harsh environments. Herein, the progress in MPEA research to date, along with prospects and challenges, are concisely reviewed—with potential future lines of research elaborated.

scholarly journals System design for inferring colony-level pollination activity through miniature bee-mounted sensors

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haron M. Abdel-Raziq ◽  
Daniel M. Palmer ◽  
Phoebe A. Koenig ◽  
Alyosha C. Molnar ◽  
Kirstin H. Petersen
Keyword(s):  
Data Acquisition ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Cluttered Environments ◽  
Robotic Mapping ◽  
Large Scale Data ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Engineered Systems

AbstractIn digital agriculture, large-scale data acquisition and analysis can improve farm management by allowing growers to constantly monitor the state of a field. Deploying large autonomous robot teams to navigate and monitor cluttered environments, however, is difficult and costly. Here, we present methods that would allow us to leverage managed colonies of honey bees equipped with miniature flight recorders to monitor orchard pollination activity. Tracking honey bee flights can inform estimates of crop pollination, allowing growers to improve yield and resource allocation. Honey bees are adept at maneuvering complex environments and collectively pool information about nectar and pollen sources through thousands of daily flights. Additionally, colonies are present in orchards before and during bloom for many crops, as growers often rent hives to ensure successful pollination. We characterize existing Angle-Sensitive Pixels (ASPs) for use in flight recorders and calculate memory and resolution trade-offs. We further integrate ASP data into a colony foraging simulator and show how large numbers of flights refine system accuracy, using methods from robotic mapping literature. Our results indicate promising potential for such agricultural monitoring, where we leverage the superiority of social insects to sense the physical world, while providing data acquisition on par with explicitly engineered systems.

scholarly journals Enabling Cyber Physical Systems with Wireless Sensor Networking Technologies, Multiagent System Paradigm, and Natural Ecosystems

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nafaâ Jabeur ◽  
Nabil Sahli ◽  
Sherali Zeadally
Keyword(s):  
Cyber Physical Systems ◽  
Wireless Sensor ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Distributed Sensors ◽  
Physical Systems ◽  
Structure Topology ◽  
Spatially Distributed ◽  
Engineered Systems ◽  
Networking Technologies ◽  
Living Organisms

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are key components in the emergent cyber physical systems (CPSs). They may include hundreds of spatially distributed sensors which interact to solve complex tasks going beyond their individual capabilities. Due to the limited capabilities of sensors, sensor actions cannot meet CPS requirements while controlling and coordinating the operations of physical and engineered systems. To overcome these constraints, we explore the ecosystem metaphor for WSNs with the aim of taking advantage of the efficient adaptation behavior and communication mechanisms of living organisms. By mapping these organisms onto sensors and ecosystems onto WSNs, we highlight shortcomings that prevent WSNs from delivering the capabilities of ecosystems at several levels, including structure, topology, goals, communications, and functions. We then propose an agent-based architecture that migrates complex processing tasks outside the physical sensor network while incorporating missing characteristics of autonomy, intelligence, and context awareness to the WSN. Unlike existing works, we use software agents to map WSNs to natural ecosystems and enhance WSN capabilities to take advantage of bioinspired algorithms. We extend our architecture and propose a new intelligent CPS framework where several control levels are embedded in the physical system, thereby allowing agents to support WSNs technologies in enabling CPSs.

scholarly journals Limits of Nature and Advances of Technology: What Does Biomimetics Have to Offer to Aquatic Robots?

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. E. Fish
Keyword(s):  
Technology Transfer ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Optimal Functions ◽  
Biomimetic Approach ◽  
Engineered Systems ◽  
Evolutionary Descent

In recent years, the biomimetic approach has been utilized as a mechanism for technological advancement in the field of robotics. However, there has not been a full appreciation of the success and limitations of biomimetics. Similarities between natural and engineered systems are exhibited by convergences, which define environmental factors, which impinge upon design, and direct copying that produces innovation through integration of natural and artificial technologies. Limitations of this integration depend on the structural and mechanical differences of the two technologies and on the process by which each technology arises. The diversity of organisms that arose through evolutionary descent does not necessarily provide all possible solutions of optimal functions. However, in instances where organisms exhibit superior performance to engineered systems, features of the organism can be targeted for technology transfer. In this regard, cooperation between biologists and engineers is paramount.

KINETIC RESPONSE OF SURFACES DEFINED BY FINITE FRACTALS

Fractals ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 18 (04) ◽  
pp. 461-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
PRADEEP R. NAIR ◽  
MUHAMMAD A. ALAM
Keyword(s):  
Scaling Laws ◽  
Finite Size ◽  
Critical Dimension ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Scale Invariant ◽  
Fractal Surfaces ◽  
Dimension Formula ◽  
Diffusion Limited ◽  
Engineered Systems ◽  
Size Limits

Historically, fractal analysis has been remarkably successful in describing wide ranging kinetic processes on (idealized) scale invariant objects in terms of elegantly simple universal scaling laws. However, as nanostructured materials find increasing applications in energy storage, energy conversion, healthcare, etc., one must reexamine the premise of traditional fractal scaling laws as it only applies to physically unrealistic infinite systems, while all natural/engineered systems are necessarily finite. In this article, we address the consequences of the 'finite-size' problem in the context of time dependent diffusion towards fractal surfaces via the novel technique of Cantor-transforms to (i) illustrate how finiteness modifies its classical scaling exponents; (ii) establish that for finite systems, the diffusion-limited reaction is decelerated below a critical dimension [Formula: see text] and accelerated above it; and (iii) to identify the crossover size-limits beyond which a finite system can be considered (practically) infinite and redefine the very notion of 'finiteness' of fractals in terms of its kinetic response. Our results have broad implications regarding dynamics of systems defined by the same fractal dimension, but differentiated by degree of scaling iteration or morphogenesis, e.g. variation in lung capacity between a child and adult.

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