Biomimicry: Engineering Designs in the Wild

Overview

When standing in a field or a forest, it is hard not to marvel at the many different wonders of nature. Thousands of years of evolution has led to a huge variety of intricate systems, from the water trans-port network in a single blade of grass to a hummingbird hovering in front of a flower to the complex articulation of an elephant’s trunk. Engineers and scientists have worked together over the years to study these wonders of nature, using them as inspiration for
the design of many of the technologies utilized today around the world. This subject, termed biomimetics, uses nature as inspiration for design and has been used for current technologies such as aircrafts, adhesives, robots, and more.

While inspiration from the wilderness can vary from the molec-ular to the macro scale, many current biomimetic designs focus on recreating the physics of natural systems. These designs may try to mimic fluid flow through micro-sized spaces by looking at an insect’s heart or the veins in a leaf. They may attempt to create stronger materials able to withstand forces in all dimensions by studying spider silk. They may also consider the ability of some amphibians to crawl on ceilings when designing new robotic systems. Basically, studying the physics of nature may be fertile grounds from which engineers can find inspiration.

How can engineers help?
Nature is full of a huge variety of organisms, including a diverse fauna of plant and animal life with many different abilities and traits. Your team will use basic principles of physics and mechanics to understand and measure various aspects of different organisms and how they may be used for new engineering designs.

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10 Examples of Biomimetics www.sciencefocus.com/future-technology/ biomimetic-design-10-examples-of-nature-inspiring-technology

Wyss institute – explore technologies in bio-inspired engineering wyss.harvard.edu/technologies

Biomechanical Principles and Applications meritbadge.org/wiki/images/0/08/ Biomechanical_Principles_and_ Applications.pdf

Principles of Fluid Mechanics web.mst.edu/~tien/218/218-fluid.pdf

Introduction to Physics and Tutorials www.physicstutorials.org/home/introduction

Preserving the Wild in Sub-Saharan Africa

Overview

Preserving the health of the natural world remains one of the most pressing global challenges of our time. Conservation efforts are absolutely crucial, working to help protect wildlife species and directly impacting human wellness and climate health for future generations. Despite many efforts to safeguard natural habitats, significant threats to the environment persist, including climate change and poaching. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, zoologists warn that—if we do not ramp up our conservation efforts—nearly half
of our wildlife species may become irreversibly extinct. Because humans fundamentally rely on plant and animal species to sustain themselves, experts are pleading with communities to help protect and preserve the natural world.

One way that national governments strive to protect environ-ments is through the eco-tourism industry, which entices visitors to embark on safaris, bird-watching adventures, and overnight camping trips in national parks. Unlike extractive industries which destroy natural habitats, the eco-tourism industry commits to sustainable practices, offering people from around the world “the experience of a lifetime” by providing opportunities to observe rare and beautiful wildlife in their natural habitats. In addition to protecting natural habitats, the eco-tourism industry uses the “natural capital” of many African countries to create economic opportunities.

How can engineers help?
Engineers play a crucial role in many aspects of conservation, including drone surveillance, energy provision, water management, and transportation to and through national parks. In addition, engineering disciplines draw inspiration from the natural world through bio-inspired technology, often using nature to inspire new technologies in the health, automobile, and aerospace sectors. Whether engineers are leveraging existing technology to conserve the national world or drawing inspiration for developing new tech-nologies, engineers must work together to carefully analyze and justify design decisions in the complex settings of the natural world. Your team must carefully consider engineering applications in the wild- where engineering intersects with the eco-tourism industry and conservation efforts.

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United Nations Report: Nature’s Dangerous Decline Unprecedented www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/ 2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report

Conservation International www.conservation.org/where/Pages/ Sub-Saharan-Africa.aspx

Drones are Helping Catch Poachers Operating Under Cover of Darkness time.com/5279322/
drones-poaching-air-shepherd

Global Relationships Between Bio-Diversity and nature-based tourism csis.msu.edu/sites/csis.msu.edu/files/
Global%20relationships%20between%20 biodiversity%20and%20nature-based%20 tourism%20in%20protected%20areas.pdf

Sustainable Land Development and WaterConservation

Overview

Land development combines multiple disciplines within Civil Engineering to create places for society to live, work, play, learn, explore, and more. During the economic boom following World War II, the United States saw a rise in urban sprawl where low-den-sity housing and development expanded around existing urban, city centers. This development pattern continued through today and created most of what we associate with “suburbia.” Sprawl develops on “greenfield” sites, which are previously undevel-
oped land in low-populous areas. It requires more infrastructure (roadways, utilities, etc.) than urban development, creates auto-mobile-centered lifestyles, and therefore, demands more natural resources. It also eliminates agricultural, recreational, and/or open space land, which affects ecosystems and natural habitats.

In the past two decades, industry and its constituents developed numerous sustainable or “green” rating systems to guide devel-opment decisions. The most recognizable of these rating systems is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which began as an evaluation of building systems. LEED has expanded to include other rating systems including LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) which includes more site related compo-nents. Another rating system is Envision, which is focused on infrastructure projects rather than buildings.

How can engineers help?

Regardless of the rating system, a sustainable design approach starts with site selection. Sustainable sites are located where devel-opment already exists in order to preserve the “wild.” They include greyfield, brownfield, and infill sites.

•Greyfields are underutilized developed areas, typically associated with oversized parking areas at malls or large commercial centers.

•Brownfields are previously developed sites with real or perceived environmental contamination issues such as a chemical spill.

•Infill sites are undeveloped sites within an urban area where infra-structure already exists.

Engineers are involved in site selection and development using sustainable design components such as alternative transportation, water reuse, and incorporation of natural processes such as the hydrologic (or water) cycle reduce the environmental footprint of the development.

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USGBC – LEED ND new.usgbc.org/leed/rating-systems/ neighborhood-development

Envision Manual sustainableinfrastructure.org/ envision-version-3

LEED ND Project Example – Encore, Tampa, FL www.usgbc.org/resources/encore-tampa-leed-neighborhood-development

Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations – Sustainable Land Management
www.fao.org/land-water/land/ sustainable-land-management/en

United Nations – Sustainable Land Use for the 21st Century sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/ documents/1124landuse.pdf

US EPA – Brownfields www.epa.gov/brownfields

Engineering and Natural Systems

Overview

Often engineers turn to nature for solutions to difficult problems. Although much of the mathematics engineers use to describe nature is formally derived using known principles, the idea of biomimicry has the chance to inspire the design of systems or techniques that solve a broad set of problems. One of the most well-known examples of a biomimicry design solution can be found in the origin story for Velcro. George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer, got the idea after investigating the hooks on the burrs he pulled out of his dog’s fur. From a computational perspective, however, we’ve been also been able to learn from the pesky picnic
crashers – ants – to solve extremely difficult optimization problems.

Machine learning algorithms can also use concepts from nature, such as evolution, to create the strongest model possible for a certain situation. Starting with the first generation of models, those with the makeup to survive make it to the next generation while those who are unfit die. The desirable traits are typically how
accurate the model is at whatever task it’s given, such as identifying objects in images or completing a level of a video game without failing. Survivors have “children,” models with slight modifications in the same way DNA slightly changes during the process of repro-duction. The process carries on for several generations until some specified criteria are attained.

How can engineers help?
Some algorithms inspired by nature can be used to solve practical problems for industries, including logistics and classification. Your team will explore different nature-inspired algorithms and princi-ples used to tackle large-scale problems in areas like vehicle route planning.

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Biomimicry Institute biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry

Machine Learning and Nature qz.com/933695/researchers-are-using-darwins-theories-to-evolve-ai-so-only-the-strongest-algorithms-survive

Genetic algorithms burakkanber.com/blog/machine-learning-genetic-algorithms-part-1-javascript

Any colony optimization mat.uab.cat/~alseda/MasterOpt/ACO_Intro.pdf

Traveling salesman problem www.wired.com/2013/01/ traveling-salesman-problem

Canopy Walkways for Wildlife Crossings

Overview

Transportation is a basic human need and plays an important role in enabling people, goods, and services to travel to different places. In our everyday lives, we need to travel across locations to earn money, obtain an education, get treatment in a hospital, or simply to meet friends. It is transportation that has allowed the economic development of different cities and towns across our
nation and the rest of the world. Nonetheless, the construction and establishment of the different transportation systems –especially highways– have divided wildlife habitat and have caused severe disruptions for all sorts of ecosystems.

These transportation systems or human-made barriers have affected the wildlife by decreasing their habitat quality and increasing their mortality due to wildlife-vehicle collisions, and in extreme cases they can cause the extinction of a species. In the U.S. alone, statistics show that cars collide with large animals over 1 million times per year, costing over $8 billion in repairs and injuries.

How can engineers help?
Civil engineers can help develop the physical design of the roads and can help animals cross our highways and roads by building wildlife bridges, designed especially for critters. These wildlife bridges do not only help prevent car collisions, but can also facilitate the migration of some species that could be obstructed by a human infrastructure. Your team will utilize various tools and formulas in order to understand and optimize the design of wildlife bridges. Moreover, you will make predictions about the consequences of different designs and how they might affect the migration and movement of different species.

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Animals Need Infrastructure Too www.citylab.com/life/2018/07/
wildlife-crossings-bridges-tunnels-animals-roads-highways-roadkill/566210

Canopy bridges for Sloths in Costa Rica
animalsmove.com/project-1-sloth

Canopy bridges keep rainforest animals connected over gas pipeline news.mongabay.com/2017/08/
canopy-bridges-keep-rainforest-animals-connected-over-gas-pipeline

The Construction of Platforms and Bridges for Forest CanopyAccess canopymeg.com/PDFs/papers/0051.pdf

Electricity: Offthe Grid and into the Wild

Overview

Electricity is vital to our lives - we use it to power our electronic devices, lights for working at night, and heating our homes. But, what about when we need electricity for long stretches while off the grid and in the wild such as remote cabins in the mountains or deep into wildlife reserves? Solar panels and wind turbines are two common ways to generate electricity while off the grid. But, what conditions do they require to effectively produce electricity? How do they need to be designed, especially if they will be used in remote locations? How do they affect the environment around them? Design of such devices likely requires the collaboration of electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, environmental engi-neers, materials scientists, computer engineers, and more...as well as important work listening to the needs and criteria of key stake-holders such as installers and users.

A key part of being an engineer involves learning laws, theories, and formulae from science and mathematics and then applying them in a variety of exciting contexts… sometimes using them to predict how something such as solar power generation might vary greatly depending on factors such as the angle it is installed or typical weather patterns in the area.

How can engineers help?
Engineers develop designs and decide on critical installation or operating parameters often based on lots of data from test situa-tions, seeking stakeholder input, and working within constraints such as material limitations or cost. Your team will perform calcu-lations and do some basic interpretation of real data in order to evaluate different designs used in different environmental contexts!

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Electricity generally www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php? page=electricity_in_the_united_states

Solar Energy www.seia.org/initiatives/about-solar-energy

Solar Energy in Space www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC3304110

Wind Energy www.awea.org/wind-101/ basics-of-wind-energy

Power Consumption of Common Devices science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/ green-tech/sustainable/5-energy-hungry-appliances.htm/printable

Electricity Offthe Grid www.firemountainsolar.com/learn-more/ off-grid-basics

Environmental Damages from Renewable Energy?

Overview

Hydroelectric and wind power generation systems are both prom-inent natural and renewable energy technologies in use today. Hydroelectric power systems use the flow of water along rivers and dams to generate electricity while wind power systems do so using the flow of air currents above the ground.

These systems can help preserve our global climate by not producing carbon emissions or other pollutants through their operation, but they certainly can be intrusive technologies within a natural ecosystem. Wind turbines that spin may strike bats and birds, killing them; hydropower turbines can block fish passages necessary for their reproductive cycle or their dams can result in flooding upstream, disrupting even land-based habitats and crea-tures. Aerial and aquatic fauna can therefore be adversely affected by the presence of these systems, despite their eco-friendly repu-tations. The loss and displacement of fauna over time can harm the environment even though renewable energies such as these
significantly help reduce the harms done by carbon emission in the atmosphere.

How can engineers help?
Responsible engineering practice means that we must always keep in mind what trade-offs may be encountered in the process of solving one problem and, when possible, find an effective and efficient countermeasure to soften or nullify such trade-offs. If our goal in using renewable energy is to preserve our environment and the current balance of nature, then reducing carbon emissions
at the cost of harming wildlife (and possibly incurring increased extinction rates) may be merely redirecting our negative impact from one aspect of the environment to another that still negatively impacts us, just differently. Effective design requires addressing both possible issues together.

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Hydropower and Effects www.studentenergy.org/topics/hydro-power

www.hydropower.org/
a-brief-history-of-hydropower

www.internationalrivers.org/ environmental-impacts-of-dams

Wind Power and Effects: windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics

www.awea.org/wind-101/ basics-of-wind-energy

www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/ renewable-energy/
environmental-impacts-wind-power

Transportation in the Frozen Tundra

Overview

There are many rural areas within the North America that receive incredible amounts of snow. Throughout history, even as trans-portation technology has progressed to include trains, cars and airplanes, one of most effective, reliable, and important means of transporting goods has remained: utilizing sled dogs. Throughout history sled dogs have served as pivotal transportation in rural, snowed in parts of Alaska.

A sled team typically consists of 16 dogs, a musher who controls the sled, and a sled that carries the cargo. A lead dog typically is the strongest and fastest of the dogs and sets the pace for the rest of the team of dogs. During 1925, Balto, the lead sled dog, lead his
team through the Alaskan wilderness to deliver lifesaving diphtheria medicine to Nome. This was during a blizzard. Without this medi-cine, the contagious disease could have killed numerous people within the remote town of Nome.

How can engineers help?
Some engineers, specifically Civil Engineers and Traffic Engineers, work with the transportation of goods and people along with the physical infrastructure and the associated logistics. They must understand and use physics, science, and underlying mathematics to ensure the safety, efficiency, and upkeep of all pathways and connective routes. Your team will work with the laws of nature and time to figure out the transportation of time sensitive cargo within a snowstorm in Alaska.

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Dog Sledding www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/ what-is-a-dog-sled

dogtails.dogwatch.com/2016/03/09/5-amazing-facts-about-sled-dogs

Civil Engineers www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/civil-engineers.htm

Traffic Engineers study.com/articles/Traffic_Engineer_Job_ Description_Salary_Duties_and_Outlook.html