Bioinspired Design in Research: Evolution as Beta-Testing

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Modernfish represent over 400 million years of evolutionary processes that, in many cases, resulted in selection for phenotypes with particular performance advantages. While this certainly occurred without a trajectory for optimization, it cannot be denied that some morphologies allow organisms to be more effective than others at tasks like evading predation, securing food, and ultimately passing on their genes. In this way, evolution generates a series of iterative prototypes with varying but measurable success in accomplishing objectives. Therefore, careful analysis of fundamental properties underlying biological phenomena allows us to fast-track the development of bioinspired technologies aiming to accomplish similar objectives. At the same time, bioinspired designs can be a way to explore evolutionary processes, by better understanding the performance space within which a given morphology operates. Through strong interdisciplinary collaborations, we can develop novel bioinspired technologies that not only excel as robotic devices but also teach us something about biology and the rules of life in the process.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1164-1173
Number of pages10
JournalIntegrative and Comparative Biology
Volume62
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2022

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Medicine

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