Embodiment of Intelligence in ProductEmbodiment of Intelligence in ProductEmbodiment of Intelligence in Product Embodiment of Intelligence in Product Design: Inspirations from Nature Design: Inspirations from Nature 

Bishakh Bhattacharya

“H i it k i i ti“Human ingenuity may make various inventions, but it will never devise any inventions more beautiful, nor more simple, nor more to thepurpose than Nature does; because in her inventions nothing is wanting and nothing issuperfluous.” p f

(Leonardo da Vinci fifteenth century)(Leonardo da Vinci, fifteenth century)

Arches inspired by Nature

The Rainbow Bridge of Utah, USA 

Corbelled Arch of  Early Civilizations

Iridescence in Nature and ProductsIridescence in Nature and Products

Sparkling Cherub

••Hue without the presence of pigments Hue without the presence of pigments ••Directionality and flashiness of coloursDirectionality and flashiness of coloursDirectionality and flashiness of coloursDirectionality and flashiness of colours••Polarization of reflected lightPolarization of reflected light

From Box Fish to Bionic CarFrom Box Fish to Bionic Car

“Boxfish are a group of puffer like fishes and the group boxfish includesfishes and the group boxfish includes cowfish and trunkfish. They all have a squared body. Their bodies are enclosed by bones.”

“To realize the Mercedes‐Benz bionic car..looked for a specific example in nature which not only approximates to the idea of anwhich not only approximates to the idea of an aerodynamic, safe, comfortable and environmentally compatible car in terms of details, but as a formal and structural whole. “

Amplified Piezo‐actuatorsAmplified Piezo actuators

Eggshell structure as inspirationas inspirationAmplified Piezo‐actuator 

Aesthetic DomainAesthetic Domain

The range of designs comply of colour shapeThe range of designs comply of colour, shape, size and texture of products inspired by naturenature.  Example:  The creation of geodesic domes and subsequently a range of tensegrity structuressubsequently a range of tensegrity structures initiated by the famous architect Buckminster FullerFuller.

Functional DomainFunctional Domain

Designs where the inspiration has mainly beenDesigns where the inspiration has mainly been from the way a specific function is carried out in nature; for example early developments ofin nature; for example, early developments of sonar transducers were inspired by Dolphin type of cetaceanstype of cetaceans. It is said that De Vinci had developed a tube like sensor which could be inserted in water tolike sensor which could be inserted in water to listen the sounds of advancing vessels.

Product Evolution DomainProduct Evolution Domain

Design processes which are inspired by naturalDesign processes which are inspired by natural systems – Synectics, Mind‐Map and Evolutionary Algorithms for Optimal DesignEvolutionary Algorithms for Optimal Design

Particle Swarm Optimization

Ant Colony Optimization

River Formation DynamicsRiver Formation Dynamics

Sustainability DomainSustainability Domain

Over millions of years nature has designed livingOver millions of years nature has designed living organisms which can harmoniously match with the entire echo systementire echo‐system. Uncontrolled industrialization and consequent global warming and other socio‐economic problems have initiated a new design trend, which, similar to the design of natural systems keeps track of environmental impact of the product. p p

Intelligence DomainIntelligence Domain

The intelligence domain is relatively lessThe intelligence domain is relatively less explored even though extensive analytical studies have been carried out on systems andstudies have been carried out on systems and organizations in nature. For example, operations of an anthill or a beehive have been extensively studied. However, development of new products/systems based on such studies is still rare.

Design Process

Thought Process of a Designer –Mind Mapp

A mind map can be used in differentstages of the design process but isstages of the design process, but isoften used in the beginning of ideagenerationgeneration.

Setting up a mind map helps one toSetting up a mind map helps one tostructure thoughts and ideas about theproblem and connect these to eachproblem, and connect these to eachother.

A Cladogram outcome of Nature’s dMind Map!

Six Phases of New Product DevelopmentSix Phases of New Product Development

• Need Statement and Constraints• Need Statement and Constraints

• Concept Generation

C t S l ti• Concept Selection

• Embodiment

• Product Metrics

• DFM – DFA - DFE

17

Concept Generation

• IntuitiveGroup Only– Group Only

• Brainstorming (PMI, K-J)

• Synectics• Progressive• Sequential (Story Boarding)

– Individual• Action Verbs• Check Listing

• Directedirected– Design Catalog

– TRIZAxiomatic Principles– Axiomatic Principles

18

SynecticsPrince and Gordon 1950

Analogies in Synectics

Starting from some aspect For a time pressure bl k f

Direct Analogy 

Starting from some aspect in the problem, one looks for comparable or analogous situations 

problem, take for ex‐ample ‘Bats in a Cave’. How do they maneuver without incidents? 

Personal Analogy What if you were an element in the problem, 

Imagine you are the time. How would you feel? Maybe pressed. How would you in fluence thee.g. a planning problem?  would you in‐fluence the situation from such a perspec‐tive? 

E.g. an anthill, or the 

Analogies in Synectics

Nature Analogy What kind of situations in nature does this remind me of?

gjungle with all the animals closely together, lungs and blood stream and all the gaseous matter that needme of?  gaseous matter that need to be transported through the body. 

How does the Nautilus

Fantastic Analogy

Can you place the problem in a fairytale or other 

hi l i i d

How does the Nautilus withstand the pressure at 2000 miles under the sea, and what did the people b d h N il d ?Fantastic Analogy  mythical situation and 

develop it from there? aboard the Nautilus do? (thinking of Jules Verne’s “20.000 miles under the seas”) )

Paradoxical Analogy Characterize the issue in two words which are each other’s opposites. 

For example: blind open‐mindedness, or overwhelming silence. 

23 Synectic Triggers23 Synectic Triggers

Subtract Empathize Isolate Substitute Symbolize

Repeat Animate Distort Prevaricate Mythologize

Combine Superimpose Disguise Analogize Fantasize

Add Change Scale Contradict Hybridize

Transfer Fragment Parody Metamorphose

Architect Buckminster Fuller summed up theessence of Synectics when he said all thingsessence of Synectics when he said all thingsregardless of their dissimilarity can somehowbe linked together either in a physicalbe linked together, either in a physical,psychological or symbolic way.

A Few Other Examples of p

Connectivity

Mood BoardRohitRohit

Internship Project 2010 / rOHIT rAGHUVANS

Internship Project 2010 / rOHIT rAGHUVANS

Functional DomainAnalyzing geometry of the honeycomb cells we find that the hexagonal arrays consume minimum material to create a lattice of cells within a given volumegiven volume.

Weight poses the highest penalty in Aerospace Structures.

Auxetic Structure  with negative Poisson’s Ratio

Variants of Auxetic StructureStents based on Auxetic Structure

Inspirations from Animal Locomotionp

Motor based Rigid Robots

Snake Like – ACM R5Snake Like  ACM R5

Bi‐pedal Walking Robot M2

Quadruped Stair‐climber Titan ‐ 6

Muscle based Flexible Robots

Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (PAM)( )

Sustainable Design from Nature

Self Assembly –M f t iManufacturing Without Heat, Beat and Treat

“Self‐assembly is a term used to describe processes in which a disordered system of pre‐existing components forms an organized structure or pattern as a consequence of p g p g p qspecific, local interactions among the components themselves, without external direction.”

Solar Energy Transformations

A Product Ideation at the SMSS Lab

Power of Shape

A P d t Id ti f NASAA Product Ideation from NASA

Quenching Thirst

P d t Id ti ?Product Ideation?

How about Intelligence?

What is Intelligence?What is Intelligence?

Intelligence is the abilityg y• To Act Appropriately in an uncertain environment, 

• where Appropriate Action is that which increases the probability of Success, and…

h h f b h l• Success is the Achievement of behavioral goals

Maximize probability of success and minimize probability of failure!probability of failure!

Different Levels of IntelligenceDifferent Levels of Intelligence

• Primary Intelligence ‐ abilities to sense thePrimary Intelligence  abilities to sense the environment, make decisions, and control action.

• Higher form ‐ abilities to recognize objects andHigher form  abilities to recognize objects and events, store and use knowledge about the world, and to reason about and plan for the future.

• Even higher ‐ to perceive and analyze, to plot and scheme, to choose wisely and plan successfully in a complex, competitive and  hostile world.

Implementing IntelligenceImplementing Intelligence

• ‘Soft’ Intelligence through RCS (Real Time ControlSoft  Intelligence through RCS (Real Time Control System) – basic requirement nominal sensor set and enormous computational power

• Intelligence through ‘Embodiment’g gOften better, cheaper, more robust and adaptive ‘agents’ can be developed if the entire agent is the design target not the ‘controller’ 

Intelligent Mote for Exercise Control

The ‘mote’ has embedded i l i hi hpiezoelectric sensors which 

sense the level of stresses applied on the limb during exerciseexercise. It is connected via a microprocessor to a visual warning system that indicateswarning system that indicates over‐exercise. Not only that, there are continuous health monitoring and compliance g pcontrol system which can control the grip of the cast around the limb. 

New Issues in Embedding IntelligenceNew Issues in Embedding Intelligence

• Morphogenesis – how from a simple yetMorphogenesis how from a simple yet functional element like embryo, nature develops a complete life‐form stage by stage ‐implementation in modular and reconfigurable robots. 

• Dynamic Reorganization of functional elements following swarm behaviour of i E Sinsects – Emergent System

• Integration of Smart Material with MEMS

Reconfigurable Robots with Swarm IntelligenceReconfigurable Robots with Swarm Intelligence

AcknowledgementAcknowledgement

• http://dutocg io tudelft nl – TUDELFThttp://dutocg.io.tudelft.nl TUDELFT• Bar‐Cohen ‐ Biologically‐Inspired Intelligent Robots using EAP as Biomimetic ActuationRobots using EAP as Biomimetic Actuation MaterialsJ i B 12 i bl d i id• Janine Benyus – 12 sustainable design ideas from Nature

• Boeing – Variable Geometry Jet Nozzle • Students of the SMSS Laboratoryy

Thank you!