bio inspired design - lecture1 assignments

1Date and Location

©2006 Tetsuo Tomiyama

Task 1: Single piece desk lamp(Herder)

• Mechanisms have often many parts• Links, nuts and bolts, bearings, etc

• Biostructures have often few parts• Compliance• Combination of functions

• Bio-inspired desk lamp?• Integration of springs and links• Integration of joints and links

©2011 Just Herder

2Date and Location


Task 2: Pick-up device for wheelchairs(Herder)

• Picking up objects from the ground verydifficult for people in wheelchairs

• Extension of human upper extremityneeded• Manual operation• May not require high operating force• Must reach ground and lap• Inconspicuous

©2011 Just Herder

3Date and Location


Task 3: Span without scaffolds or cranes(Herder)

• Some animals, like ants orspiders, can make very largespans

• Investigate these spans, developa performance metric, and design a bio-inspired method to make a large span like a bridge or the roof of a stadium, without usingscaffolds or cranes

©2011 Just Herder

4Date and Location


Task 4: Carrying children(Herder)

• Carrying children causes lowerback pain in humans. Animals do not seem to have these problems.

• Make an inventory of offspringcarrying methods and perform a biomechanical analysis ifnecessary

• Design a bio-inspired method forhumans carrying their children(not being a pram)

©2011 Just Herder

5Date and Location


Task 5: Deployable instrument(Herder)

• Some animals can reduce orexpand themselves for variouspurposes

• Make an inventory of these expansion techniques

• Design a deployable instrument for minimally invasive surgery, forgrasping larger structures such as a gall bladder

©2011 Just Herder

6Date and Location


Task 6: Better door(Herder)

• If one would consider a door critically, it is hard to image it has lasted for centuries now: it does not close very well, makes noise, and poses serious risk of (finger) injuries.

• Get inspired by nature and propose an every-day revolution: a door that closes well and safely.

©2011 Just Herder

7Date and Location


Task 7: Robot cleaner(Tomiyama)

• A Group of Robotic Cleaners• Comes Out from the “Nest” Automatically in the Night• Searches Dust/Garbage• Cleans Up the Room (Kitchen, Living Room, etc.)• Recharges Autonomously in the Nest

• Focus• Behavior Level


8Date and Location


Task 8: Pram, stroller (baby buggy)(Tomiyama)• Why Do Mothers Need to Suffer from Steps and Stairs?

• Design a Powered/Non-Powered Pram that can Manage Steps and Stairs Easily!


9Date and Location


Task 9: Portable cooler (Tomiyama)


• Task• Design a Portable Cooler

• For Food/Drinks• Requires Minimum Energy• Battery Operated?

10Date and Location


Task 10: Removing snow (Tomiyama)


• Isn’t there a better way?• Cheap• No salt, no chemicals• Could be a device,

machine, method• Can handle ice

11Date and Location


Task 11: Mars rover for rough terrain(Breedveld)

Task:Design a mars rover that uses a novel, bio-inspired, alternativefor wheels for easy locomotion over rough and uneven terrain.

©2011 Paul Breedveld

Disadvantages of wheels:• Designed for flat surface• Rough, uneven terrain:

Very large wheelsCaterpillars and othercomplex mechanisms

12Date and Location


Task 12: Toothless tissue gripper(Breedveld)


Task:Design a new grasping forceps for minimally invasive surgerythat uses a novel way to grasp tissue without using teeth, creating very strong grip without any risk on damage

Requirements:• Surgical grasping forceps• Minimally invasive surgery• Toothless gripper• Very strong grip, NO DAMAGE!

13Date and Location


Task 13: Zero energy transportation(Breedveld)


Task:Design a transportation system/vehicle that needs extremelylittle (no!) energy to function and that can be used fortransporting a group of people (public transportation)

Requirements:• Transportation from• one city to another• Transportation of• a group of people• “no” energy demanding

14Date and Location


Task 14: Unslippable shoe(Breedveld)


Task:Design a shoe with a bottom surface that enables a person to walk or run over icy or snowy surfaces without any risk of slip.

Requirements:• Suitable for icy or snowy surfaces • Suitable for walking and running• Robust & simple• NO slip at ANY circumstance

15Date and Location


Task 15: Always clean pedal bin(Breedveld)


Task:Design a pedal bin that cannot become dirty when garbage is inserted or when it is emptied. Bin bags, when used, should bevery easy to remove or to install. The design must me veryattractive so that everybody wants to buy it!

Requirements:• ALWAYS CLEAN, both outside and inside• Robust & simple mechanism• Easy to remove & install bin bags• Beautiful, attractive design

16Date and Location


Group requirents

©2011 Just Herder, Tetsuo Tomiyama & Paul Breedveld

• Form 10 student groups.

• In each group students from at least 2 different • faculties or departments.

• In each group not more than 1 international student.

• Students in a group write down on a piece of paper• their names, study numbers and e-mail addresses.

• Write down on the piece of paper which 3 tasks you• like most, in order of preference (best task first).

17Date and Location


Task 1 (Herder): Single piece desk lampTask 2 (Herder): Pick-up device for wheelchairsTask 3 (Herder): Span without scaffolds or cranesTask 4 (Herder): Carrying childrenTask 5 (Herder): Deployable instrument Task 6 (Herder): Better door

Task 7 (Tomiyama): Robot cleanerTask 8 (Tomiyama): Pram, stroller (baby buggy)Task 9 (Tomiyama): Portable coolerTask 10 (Tomiyama): Removing snow

Task 11 (Breedveld): Mars rover for rough terrainTask 12 (Breedveld): Toothless tissue gripperTask 13 (Breedveld): Zero energy transportationTask 14 (Breedveld): Unslippable shoeTask 15 (Breedveld): Always clean pedal bin

©2011 Just Herder, Tetsuo Tomiyama & Paul Breedveld

bio inspired design - lecture1 assignments

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