Department of Mechanical Engineering, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
ME40212 Biomimetics |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: CW 50%, EX 50% |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take ME30264 or take ME30266 |
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Aims:
* To introduce the materials, structures and mechanisms of natural organisms. * To show how organisms can be analysed as engineering structures using standard techniques. * To extract principles of biological structures and reformulate them as engineering structures. * To use concepts from biology to solve problems in engineering. Learning Outcomes: After taking this unit the student should be able to: * Understand fundamental concepts of biological design such as scaling, hierarchy of structures and materials, designing for high strains and low loads, energy conservation, adaptive design, damage control. * Understand the implications of biology for advanced engineering and product design. Skills: Problem solving; written communication; working independently. Content: Biological fibres, fillers and ceramics; composites; soft structures; inflatable structures; mechanical properties and testing; structural hierarchy; control of fracture; scaling; factors of safety; cellular materials; design of skeletons and other supportive structures; locomotion (walking, running, flying, swimming); power amplification mechanisms; design of plants, prestressing; deployable structures; design of simple robots; tough materials (armour, blast containment); design for fatigue; adaptive structures; smart materials; neutral networks; genetic algorithms and programming; structures made by animals and their environmental advantages; architecture. Topics for self study that could be examined. |