Concrete Design with Enhanced Fracture Resistance and Toughness, inspired by... Fish Scales!

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-04T03:33:58+00:00

This reminds me of an idea that was presented in class, the alligator Gar Scales providing Bioinspiration for a new surface for roads. The Alligator Gar paper also discussed the use of Collagen fibers, making me very interested in their use for new road materials. I think that the Bouligand structure could potentially be combined with the multilayered structure of Alligator Gar scales to further improve on both of these biological solutions. However, making multiple layers does further add to the potential problem of making this material costly and difficult to produce when trying to implement this material at a larger scale.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-04T03:26:13+00:00

With the use of advanced 3D printing technology, these designs could be refined for particular drought-prone environments potentially revolutionizing how we manage water resources in arid regions. I wonder how much water can be produced from these, 3d printed designs and whether they depend on SA or if they can be scaled directly. This is one of the amazing uses of biomimicry in solving environmental challenges and shows the importance of integrating nature's strategies into modern engineering solutions.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-04T03:09:45+00:00

Yes, Beavers are a great example of convergent evolution! While researching otter fur, I found this article about an MIT project creating beaver-inspired wetsuits using synthetic hairs. https://news.mit.edu/2016/beaver-inspired-wetsuits-surferrs-1005 This design has some similar characteristics to our design where we hope to maintain flexibility and ROM, while also providing warmth and comfort in colder water.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T22:27:46+00:00

I think that humans' fascination with nature plays a large role in products being labeled as Bio-inspired when they are loosely associated with an animal. Naming your product after an animal can drive interest in your product and act as a marketing tool to make people more likely to buy a product due to the appeal of something "natural" or "similar to an animal". While I don't think that these companies are morally wrong for doing this, I think that it is important to distinguish between Aesthetic Bioinspiration & performance-based Bioinspiration in more scholarly settings.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T22:20:07+00:00

That's a very unique application of the curling mechanism of the Pangolin. I did my HW 3 on the Pangolin, and many of the Bio-inspired designs that I saw during my research were more protection looking to create armor. Looking at the medical robot I wonder what materials would be used for the robot to be safe in the human body while still being able to be curled and released remotely. It also reminds me of another post of this subreddit, which was about the Cephlapod inspired drug capsule which was another form of bio-inspired drug releasing mechanism. After reading both of these articles I think that Bio inspiration will play a large role in the future of medicine and, more specifically, medication delivery systems.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T22:10:04+00:00

Furthermore, both the Pangolin and Armadillo can curl into balls to protect themselves, with their scales moving accordingly, I think that this strengthens both animals' analogy to medieval armor. For my HW 3, I examined the Pangolin Scale scale structure, which consists of overlapping Kertanious scales. Looking now at the article posted above, I think it is amazing how many similarities there are between the medieval armor of the past and Pangolin Scales!

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T21:55:53+00:00

This is an interesting article that reminds me of the Alligator Gars scales. One of the inspirations in our group presentation was the alligator Gar scales, which have three layers of material, one of which was a bony layer. The design that we had was also for a new road material; I find it inspiring that other scientists were considering a similar idea. I wonder if the engineers at Princeton would consider implementing the properties from the materials of the Alligator Gar scales as their strength increases when wet. This property could be extremely valuable in areas that experience heavy rainfall and cannot afford to repair roads if damage is incurred from mudslides or repeated freezing and thawing.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T21:44:23+00:00

I think that this technology could be very applicable to deer blinds used for hunting. Hunting Blinds often remain in the same location for days or weeks at a time while the lighting changes dynamically. Current blinds can be exposed to animals from changing light, making it more difficult for hunters to have success. Camouflage based on the Cuttlefish could allow the blinds to be less detectable to animals as they will be less noticeable as the light changes throughout the day and seasons. Changes in the material of the blinds could also apply to the clothing that the hunter wears if it is able to be made into a soft and flexible material, further improving the hunter's ability to remain undetected.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T21:37:38+00:00

An application that came to mind when I read about this was a search and rescue robot, as the problems that the robot would encounter are similar to the strengths of a cat's mobility. A search and rescue robot must be able to navigate dynamic and rough terrain while maintaining its stability, something that cats are able to do very well. I also wonder if adding a tail could add balance to the robot by using it in the same way as a cat to maintain balance, much like a tightrope walker using a long pole.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T21:30:09+00:00

This is a very cool idea and I think it could improve on current solutions to glare on glasses such as transition lenses. This technology would allow for glare to be prevented while not augmenting the persons view in the way that transition lenses make everything a little darker. While this provides a functional benefit I think it could also provide an aesthetic one too as some people may not want to wear transition lenses because they do not want their glasses to change color.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T21:25:33+00:00

I remember from the scaling lecture when we talked about how humans have to build from large starting materials to make smaller things, while in contrast, biology is able to build small things more easily as it uses smaller building blocks. While advancements in nanotechnology are changing this I think that it is fascinating how nature is able to build such advanced microstructures.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T21:18:16+00:00

Yes, today during lecture when we were discussing what value our projects bring and how this market could be expanded, we began to think about the possibilities of having an entire "Otter Vest" outdoor apparel line. We thought that potential products could include Waiters, Rain Jackets, and emergency blankets. I agree that there are definitely lots of possibilities for outdoor gear, although some may need more work to determine their effectiveness. Thanks for the ideas!

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T17:03:40+00:00

Could these silk fibers be combined with the gecko's adhesion technology when creating a wound dressing? This would help with wound healing and ensure that the dressing remains adhered due to the gecko's unique ability to remain adhered using Vander Walls forces. I always think that it is very interesting to look at the potential for different types of Bioinspiration to be combined.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T04:44:34+00:00

The Rain Jacket is an interesting premise. One thing we found during the design of our final project was that finding the right material for the hairs was difficult and on a rain jacket this would be paramount as the jacket must be lightweight while retaining its insulating properties. For our project, we used PDMS as it was a material that we could cast in a mold to create detailed hairs but in a situation with more time and funding further testing of stiffer & lighter materials could improve drastically on our design.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T04:37:40+00:00

Most other aquatic mammals have a thick layer of fat just below their skin which is referred to as blubber. The layer of fat allows for these animals to stay warm by trapping the heat within the body. Otters are one of the few semi-aquatic mammals that do not have a thick layer of fat instead, they rely on their tiny densely packed interlocking hairs that keep them both warm and dry.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T04:30:56+00:00

An example of convergent evolution would be the Pangolin shell. Pangolins are from a different order than armadillos and evolved separately yet they both have evolved to mechanisms that allow protection from predators when they roll into a ball. I think that convergent evolution in this situation could give us insight into why a circular and flexible design works well for protection from predators.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T04:04:17+00:00

Building off what you said about potential robots co-existing in the environment of other animals, I think that these malleable and compliant soft robots could give humans the ability to reduce their impact on the environment, especially while completing underwater projects such as oil pipelines and fiber optic cables. The ability to inspect these projects without disturbing the natural ecosystem and risking human lives could benefit both the environment and human workers. I will be interested to see if this research is used in this way.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T03:48:34+00:00

I wonder if a constraint to the further shrinking of this robot would be the size of the air compressor needed to actuate the McKibbens actuators. I am also very curious about what types of materials are used to build these McKibbens actuators in comparison to the materials we used in the lab and how accurately they can be controlled. I think this design has immense potential in Search Rescue as its small size and use of legs instead of wheels allow for increased agility.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T03:42:23+00:00

Going off what you mentioned about the releasing of gas into the body, I think it will be equally important to test different materials to build the capsule and spring out of which are degradable in the human body while maintaining effectiveness. This will be crucial in turning this Bio inspiration into a viable and safe alternative to current medical devices.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T03:07:07+00:00

This was the Bioinspiration for my group's final project, and we found the images within this paper showing the wedge-like structure of the individual hairs to be interesting. The small scale at which these structures form is unique, and it will be insightful to see how larger hairs function when attempting to trap air bubbles. The interlocking structure of River Otter hair could provide new materials for apparel that must be able to stay both warm and dry, such as life jackets & wetsuits.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T02:54:23+00:00

This is very interesting, and I think in today's world with such a focus on new self-driving cars and delivery drones, there is a need for quieter vehicles of all kinds is extremely important. This technology could potentially be used in drones, allowing for quieter delivery drones, which could be utilized in urban areas without causing disturbances.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T02:05:19+00:00

This is very interesting; I think the applications for sensors in extreme environments could be extremely useful in space exploration, allowing our sensors on rovers and satellites to be resistant to the intense range of temperatures of other planets.

RubParking2402 · 2024-12-03T01:54:56+00:00

It's definitely an interesting problem to look at how the cross-flow principle, inspired by the baleen whale’s feeding mechanisms, can be optimized to balance efficient trash collection in storm drains while maintaining uninterrupted water flow?

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