Learning from Nature: Bionics in Design Practice

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomimetic Design, Constructions and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 12379

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education), Jilin University, Changchun, China
Interests: bionic sensors and actuators; intelligent actuating materials; dynamic drag reduction technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Engineering College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
Interests: thermal spray coating; thermal spray technology; spraying process simulation
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Guest Editor
Architecture and Design College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
Interests: digital simulation design; bionic cross design; data visualization design; computer-aided design
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Human beings are part of Nature, and design is a cultural phenomenon that accompanies the emergence of human beings, following the principle of "people-oriented" design. Therefore, there is a definite connection between humans, Nature, and design: humans are part of the natural world, and their design inspiration often comes from Nature. The aim of design is to improve the external environment (natural/built environment) and living conditions of humanity. It can be seen that “design” is broad, but the purpose of design is specific, regular and valuable through learning from Nature in the form of bionic methods. This Special Issue focuses on the use of bionics in design practice, and explores practical cases and issues in the fields of bionics in mechanical design, architectural design, industrial design, product design, and other design fields. At the same time, this Issue also welcomes advanced bionic theory in design practice.

We sincerely invite architects, urban planners, product designers, industrial design engineering experts, engineers and other experts and scholars from around the world to release cutting-edge and innovative theoretical perspectives and cases. The aim is to promote the deep development and innovation of bionic design together through this topic, so as to continuously improve the design behavior of humans in Nature and continuously enhance the sustainable design and improvement of humans’ living environment.

Dr. Shupeng Wang
Dr. Pengyun Xu
Dr. Yangyang Wei
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bionic theory in design frontiers
  • bionic case and practice in mechanical design
  • bionic case and practice in architectural design
  • bionic case and practice in industrial design
  • bionic case and practice in product design
  • bionic case and practice in environment design

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 7320 KiB  
Article
A Biomorphic Approach to Designing Special-Purpose Vehicles for Arctic Conditions
by Nikita Klyusov, Nikolai Garin, Svetlana Usenyuk-Kravchuk, Ekaterina Vasilieva and Kirill Ustinov
Biomimetics 2023, 8(4), 360; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8040360 - 11 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1132
Abstract
The paper explores the potential of the biomorphic approach to context-based design with a focus on special-purpose mobility in the Arctic. The study seeks to contribute to the analytical and conceptual basis for developing the transport component of the Arctic life-support system, i.e., [...] Read more.
The paper explores the potential of the biomorphic approach to context-based design with a focus on special-purpose mobility in the Arctic. The study seeks to contribute to the analytical and conceptual basis for developing the transport component of the Arctic life-support system, i.e., a set of objects and technologies, and knowledge and skills for handling them, allowing a person to survive and comfortably exist in severe environmental conditions. The central argument is that the system should incorporate structural components that possess not only technical but also artistic and emotional characteristics that align with the geographic (environmental and climatic), socio-cultural, and psychological peculiarities of use. This can be achieved by drawing inspiration from local nature. We probe the visual image of “soft military presence” using two case studies in different parts of the Russian Arctic: the Yamal and Chukchi peninsulas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Learning from Nature: Bionics in Design Practice)
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13 pages, 2716 KiB  
Article
Bio-Inspired Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Electrochemical Sensor for Cortisol Detection Based on O-Phenylenediamine Optimization
by Minwoo Kim, Daeil Park, Joohyung Park and Jinsung Park
Biomimetics 2023, 8(3), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8030282 - 1 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1586
Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the various parameters involved in the fabrication of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensor for the detection of cortisol. Parameters such as monomer concentration, electropolymerization cycles, pH, monomer–template ratio, template removal technique, and rebinding time were [...] Read more.
This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the various parameters involved in the fabrication of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensor for the detection of cortisol. Parameters such as monomer concentration, electropolymerization cycles, pH, monomer–template ratio, template removal technique, and rebinding time were optimized to establish a more consistent and effective method for the fabrication of MIP sensors. Under the optimized conditions, the MIP sensor demonstrated a proportional decrease in differential pulse voltammetry peak currents with increasing cortisol concentration in the range of 0.1 to 100 nM. The sensor exhibited excellent sensitivity, with a limit of detection of 0.036 nM. Selectivity experiments using a non-imprinted polymer sensor confirmed the specific binding affinity of the MIP sensor for cortisol, distinguishing it from other steroid hormones. This study provides crucial insights into the development of a reliable and sensitive strategy for cortisol detection using O-PD-based MIPs. These findings laid the foundation for further advancements in MIP research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Learning from Nature: Bionics in Design Practice)
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18 pages, 11627 KiB  
Article
Cushioning Performance of the Biomimetic Cobweb Cushioning Silicone Pad
by Changyu Liao, Ye Tian, Wei Xu, Jiahang Zhang, Zhihui Sun and Zhuang Liu
Biomimetics 2023, 8(3), 276; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8030276 - 28 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1315
Abstract
At present, the packing method of “plastic bag–buffer packing–packing paper box” is adopted for bearing packaging. However, the common packing method has a poor packing effect and poor versatility. In this study, a new biomimetic cobweb cushion is proposed to solve the problem [...] Read more.
At present, the packing method of “plastic bag–buffer packing–packing paper box” is adopted for bearing packaging. However, the common packing method has a poor packing effect and poor versatility. In this study, a new biomimetic cobweb cushion is proposed to solve the problem of insufficient cushioning capacity of high-precision bearing cushion packaging pads. First, according to the nature of cobweb form, the cobweb cushion structure configuration is determined. Next, based on the structure of the cushion and the relationship between the parameters of radial thread and spiral thread, a mechanical and target optimization model is established. The stress nephogram of bearing and the cobweb cushion are analyzed under three drop heights of 381, 610, and 700 mm, in the finite element simulation software to ensure that the maximum bearings stress is not beyond the material yield strength. Via the 3D printing technology, a cobweb cushion shell cast is made. Drop tests of the bearing were performed, and the results were verified with the finite element simulation analysis. This research can provide technical support for the protection of high-precision bearings from accidental drops during transportation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Learning from Nature: Bionics in Design Practice)
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28 pages, 5300 KiB  
Article
WOA-Based Robust Congestion Control Scheme with Two Kinds of Propagation Latencies and External Disturbance in Software-Defined Wireless Networks
by Xi Hu, Zhiwei Shen, Xin Xiong, Siqi Zhang, Junming Chang and Wang Gao
Biomimetics 2023, 8(2), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8020249 - 10 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1170
Abstract
This paper proposes a novel WOA-based robust control scheme with two kinds of propagation latencies and external disturbance implemented in Software-Defined Wireless Networks (SDWNs) to maximize overall throughput and enhance the stability of the global network. Firstly, an adjustment model developed using the [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a novel WOA-based robust control scheme with two kinds of propagation latencies and external disturbance implemented in Software-Defined Wireless Networks (SDWNs) to maximize overall throughput and enhance the stability of the global network. Firstly, an adjustment model developed using the Additive-Increase Multiplicative-Decrease (AIMD) adjustment scheme with propagation latency in device-to-device paths and a closed-loop congestion control model with propagation latency in device–controller pairs are proposed, and the effect of channel competition from neighboring forwarding devices is analyzed. Subsequently, a robust congestion control model with two kinds of propagation latencies and external disturbance is established. Then, a new WOA-based scheduling strategy that considers each individual whale as a specific scheduling plan to allocate appropriate sending rates at the source side is presented to maximize the global network throughput. Afterward, the sufficient conditions are derived using Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals and formulated using Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs). Finally, a numerical simulation is conducted to verify the effectiveness of this proposed scheme. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Learning from Nature: Bionics in Design Practice)
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14 pages, 6784 KiB  
Article
Chair Size Design Based on User Height
by Maciej Sydor and Miloš Hitka
Biomimetics 2023, 8(1), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010057 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6068
Abstract
General principles derived from anatomical studies of human body sizes should be applied to chair designs. Chairs can be designed for a specific user or a particular group of users. Universal chairs for public spaces should be comfortable for the largest possible group [...] Read more.
General principles derived from anatomical studies of human body sizes should be applied to chair designs. Chairs can be designed for a specific user or a particular group of users. Universal chairs for public spaces should be comfortable for the largest possible group of users and should not be adjustable, such as office chairs. However, the fundamental problem is that the anthropometric data available in the literature either come from many years ago and are out of date or do not provide a complete set of all the dimensional parameters of a sitting human body position. This article proposes a way to design chair dimensions solely based on the height range of the intended chair users. For this purpose, based on literature data, the main structural dimensions of the chair were assigned to the appropriate anthropometric body measurements. Furthermore, calculated average body proportions for the adult population overcome the incompleteness, outdated and burdensome access to anthropometric data and link the main chair design dimensions to one easily accessible anthropometric parameter: human height. This is achieved by seven equations describing the dimensional relations between the chair’s essential design dimensions and human height or even a height range. The result of the study is a method of determining the optimal functional dimensions of a chair for a chosen range of sizes of its future users based only on users’ height range. Limitations of the presented method: the calculated body proportions are correct only for people with a standard body proportion characteristic of adults, i.e., they exclude children and adolescents up to 20 years of age, seniors, and people with a body mass index exceeding 30. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Learning from Nature: Bionics in Design Practice)
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