How to Surpass the Deep-Sea Glass Sponges Mechanically

The biomimetic design of engineering structures is based on biological structures with excellent mechanical properties, which are the result of billions of years of evolution. However, current biomimetic structures, such as ordered lattice materials, are still inferior to many biological materials in terms of structural complexity and mechanical properties. For example, the structure of \textit{Euplectella aspergillum}, a type of deep-sea glass sponge, is an eye-catching source of inspiration for biomimetic design; however, guided by scientific theory, how to engineer structures surpassing the mechanical properties of \textit{E. aspergillum} remains an unsolved problem. The lattice structure of the skeleton of \textit{E. aspergillum} consists of vertically, horizontally, and diagonally oriented struts, which provide superior strength and flexural resistance compared with the conventional square lattice structure. Herein, the structure of \textit{E. aspergillum} was investigated in detail, and by using the theory of elasticity, a lattice structure inspired by the bionic structure was proposed. The mechanical properties of the sponge-inspired lattice structure surpassed the sponge structure under a variety of loading conditions, and the excellent performance of this configuration was verified experimentally. The proposed lattice structure can greatly improve the mechanical properties of engineering structures, and it improves strength without much redundancy of material. This study achieved the first surpassing of the mechanical properties of an existing sponge-mimicking design. This design can be applied to lattice structures, truss systems, and metamaterial cells.

Biomimetic design considerations for 3D-printed joints

3D-printing innovations are being explored as a uniting framework for the future of individualized joint replacement. The ability to convert 2D medical images to adjustable 3D models means a patient’s own anatomy can serve as the foundation for implant design. There are three biomimetic design considerations to understand the research on these new implants. First, optimizing the unit cell of 3D models can give researchers the essential building block necessary to 3D-print reliable artificial joints. Second, adequate porosity when designing a 3D-printed biomimetic joint is a balance between strength and the need for osseointegration. Third, functionally graded material as a design principle connects unit cell and porosity to create a 3D-printed product with complex properties along different spacial axes. 3D printing offers the opportunity to incorporate biomimetic design principles that were previously unobtainable with traditional manufacturing methods.

Multi-objective biomimetic optimization design of stiffeners for automotive door based on vein unit of dragonfly wing

In this paper, a biomimetic optimizing design of the stiffeners layout of the automotive inner door panels is proposed based on vein unit of dragonfly wing. The distributions features of the dragonfly veins and similarity as stiffeners are analyzed, and then the excellent structural features of mechanical properties of the dragonfly veins are extracted to work as a biomimetic design. In order to research the distribution of the reinforced areas in the interior door panels under various operating conditions, the finite element model is established firstly. Secondly, gray relation theory combined with analytic hierarchy analysis are imposed to determine the weight value of each condition in multi-objective topology optimization to fully consider both objective and subjective factors, and topological optimization results indicate that the stiffeners of the inner door panel are biconically designed. Finally, the original finite element results of the inner door panels are compared with that after optimized with biomimetic stiffeners under the same operating conditions, and the result of the comparison verify the effectiveness of the biomimetic topology design. Specifically, for the dent-resistant and sinking condition, the strength of new door increases by 20.2% and 14.3%, respectively. Therefore, doors with biomimetic stiffeners have an increased resistance to deformation and vibration, while the mass is reduced by 2.7%. The results can provide valuable new ideas for the optimal biomimetic design of automotive door inner panel stiffeners.

Application of biomimetic design in concept of small terrain electric vehicle, MODULO

Biomimetic Design is based on basic natural principles. One of the basic natural principle is principle of maximum and minimum. Biological structures or systems can achieve maximum performance and durability with minimal material and energy consumption. More developed system in nature, means the more favorable ratio of this principle. Therefore, this natural principle of maximum and minimum is the basis for trends in biomimetic design. Trends of biomimetic design (functional morphology, optimal arrangement, determination of functionality, multi-functionality, energy use, and so on) are presented for concept of small terrain electric vehicle in this paper. The electric vehicle model has 2 parts: front and rear module with a choice of accumulator size, and with a choice of 4x2 or 4x4 drives. The transport of people (including injured people) or transport of cargo to hard-to-reach places is main concept idea of terrain electric vehicle. This work is supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract no. APVV-18-0457, Special Light Electric Vehicle from Unconventional Materials to Heavy Conditions and Terrain – LEV.

Application of biomimetic design in concept of small terrain electric vehicle, MODULO

Biomimetic Design is based on basic natural principles. One of the basic natural principle is principle of maximum and minimum. Biological structures or systems can achieve maximum performance and durability with minimal material and energy consumption. More developed system in nature, means the more favorable ratio of this principle. Therefore, this natural principle of maximum and minimum is the basis for trends in biomimetic design. Trends of biomimetic design (functional morphology, optimal arrangement, determination of functionality, multi-functionality, energy use, and so on) are presented for concept of small terrain electric vehicle in this paper. The electric vehicle model has 2 parts: front and rear module with a choice of accumulator size, and with a choice of 4x2 or 4x4 drives. The transport of people (including injured people) or transport of cargo to hard-to-reach places is main concept idea of terrain electric vehicle. This work is supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract no. APVV-18-0457, Special Light Electric Vehicle from Unconventional Materials to Heavy Conditions and Terrain – LEV.

Biomimetic Designs for Automobile Engineering: A Review

Automobile engineering often demands creative and innovative concepts to achieve their performance and efficiency targets. However, the strategies used to create these concepts are evolving with time. Recently, heightened attention has been noticed to using biomimetic concepts in the field of automobile design. The studies that apply biomimicry to automobile design often exhibit improvements in vehicle performance and fuel efficiency. Consequently, biomimetic concepts have extended an opportunity to the automobile industry to generate futuristic designs with advanced technology. However, the innovations and inventions in biology are usually published with more complex terminology that is not convenient for the research community working on automobile engineering. Hence, a notable delay is present in transferring the recent discoveries in biology to engineering researches so that they can develop strategies to mimic them. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the biomimetic design approaches that have been and can be used in automobile design. In addition, the paper includes a classification of biomimetic concepts, which reveals the current research interests and highlights the areas with a deficit of research that is required to be addressed extensively in the future.