Developing Engineering Products Using Inspiration From Nature

Abstract

Nature can be a major source of inspiration for engineering designers. Biomimicry is often used in specific cases to develop solutions that mimic natural systems. However, knowledge of natural systems is still not used systematically and commonly for inspiring innovative product development, from ideation of solutions to their implementation as products. In ideation, potential solutions to a design problem are generated. To support ideation, two databases are developed with entries having information about natural and artificial systems. A novel generic causal model is developed for structuring information of how these systems achieve their behavior. Three algorithms are developed for analogical search of entries that could inspire ideation of solutions to a given problem. In realization, evaluation and modification of these solutions are carried out by experimenting with these in virtual and physical forms and environments.