learning from nature

Question 1

What do we mean by learning from nature in the context of detecting material of interest? (X5 topics)

Answer 1

chemical detection
infrared
electrical
magnetic
radiation

Question 2

Explain how studying nature can aid the development of situational awareness sensing systems?

Answer 2

radically different ways of design and manufacturing of components and systems

Question 3

What is the purpose of a conceptual model?

Answer 3

provides an overview of how different areas of learning from nature overlap

Question 4

Describe the 10 different types of sensing found in nature and how can they be used in a security context?

Answer 4

Chemical
Infra red
vibration
pressure
fluid flow
strain
magnetic
electric field
touch
EM radiation

Question 5

In terms of processing information why does biology have an advantage?

Question 6

What new functionality has been derived from nature?

Answer 6

• Specificity and sensitivity of sensors (e.g. snake (IR), moth (chemical))
  – Navigation without maps & GPS (optic flow in insects, migrating birds)
  – Optimised integration of sensors and processing
  – Sustainability, adaptive capability (physically and behaviourally)
  – Low processing energy demands; distributed energy.

Question 7

What Radically different way of designing and manufacturing components and systems have come from nature?

Answer 7

Exceptional packaging and integration
Self assembly and repair
Optimum low energy design (low temperature fabrication using readily available material, integration of functions, locomotion, tracking)

Question 8

6 topics in the bio design concept map

Answer 8

robotics
bionics
bioinspiration
biomimetics
biomimicry
eco-design

Question 9

5 areas of learning from nature

Answer 9

Bio mimicry
bio mimetics
bio derived materials
bio fabrication
bioinspired

Question 10

define bio mimicry

Answer 10

Study of nature, its models, systems, processes and elements and then imitates or takes creative inspiration from them to solve human problems.

Question 11

define bio mimetics

Answer 11

The underlying biological paradigms present keeping each species functioning in its own unique way.

Question 12

define bio derived materials

Answer 12

matierals made from or originating from living organisms

Question 13

define bio fabrication

Answer 13

A process using cells, viruses, proteins, biomaterials and bioactive compounds as building blocks to fabricate advanced biological models, medical therapeutics and non medical biological systems

Question 14

define bio inspired

Answer 14

Ideas inspired by mechanisms or laws operating in
biological organisms. Or a conscious strategy by designers to observe and learn principles of design from nature.

Question 15

components of a situational awareness sensing system (SASS)

Answer 15

structure
collection sampling
processing (communications)
surfaces / receptors
power
sensor element transduction

Question 16

4 components of structure for SASS

Answer 16

Function
Scale
Morphology
Materials

Question 17

5 components of surfaces with relation to SASS

Answer 17

surface area
surface modification
materials
connectivity
degradable/fouling

Question 18

3 collection and sample types

Answer 18

air
water
solid

Question 19

4 components of receptors in relation to SASS

Answer 19

antibodies
bio probes
synthetic ligands
molecular

Question 20

3 components of processing and communications

Answer 20

internal
collective
external

Question 21

6 componets of power

Answer 21

energy harvesting
fuel cells
photosynthesis/photoelectric
chemical
storage accumulators
power management

Question 22

Chart of processing information

Answer 22

Digital signal processing
compressive sensing
biology

Question 23

What are the 4 components of DSP

Answer 23

collect
compress
reconstruct
analyze/act

Question 24

3 components to CS

Answer 24

sparsely sample
reconstruct
analyse/act

Question 25

2 components to biology processing information

Answer 25

sparsely sample
analyse/act

Question 26

fiddler crab vision example

Answer 26

• Biological systems compressively sample environment and do not reconstruct to make critical decisions (Compressive Sensing)
• This is achieved by having hard coded, neural circuitry that responds only to necessary information (Machine learning)

social zone lower level
predator zone upper level

Question 27

human vision example of CS/ML

Answer 27

colour vision only in the centre, peripheral vision only in black and white

Question 28

Nature - types of chemo sensing

Answer 28

olfaction
gustation (taste)
surface contact (touch)