Symposium H
Mining Smartness From Nature
Advisory Board
Invited Speakers


Nature has always served as a model for mimicking and inspiration to humans in their efforts to improve their life. Indeed nature has been engineering its creations for million of years and evolution has resolved many of nature challenges leading to highly effective solutions achieved by minimal use of resources. Nowadays, where the limitations of the world’s natural resources and environment became more apparent a deeper insight into the intelligent and complex laws of nature governing biological events is a key of immense potential to discover highly effective and efficient ways in which life’s strategies can be successfully applied to human systems for long-term sustainability. Novel and efficient materials, structures, tools, mechanisms and processes have already resulted from adapting mechanisms and capabilities from nature and more may be envisaged for the near future because of the increased understanding of the biological world, the capability to manage matter down to the atomic scale, the development of novel algorithms and theories, and the exponentially increasing power for computation and multi-scale simulation of processes, materials, structures and whole systems. Objective of this symposium, that follows the one on the same subject held in the frames of CIMTEC 2008, is to merge biological information with materials science, engineering and medical sciences at the purpose of exploring new ideas and accomplishments, for the practice of bio-inspired design to gather momentum and offer innovative solutions. Sessions will encompass a broad spectrum of biologically inspired technologies and will cover new achievements in biological mechanisms as models for mimicking, bio-inspired materials, bio-sensors, bio-actuators, adaptive and autonomous structures, bio-computing, bio-inspired intelligent robots, intelligent software, systems and control, etc. for applications ranging from home, sport and leisure, to aerospace structures, medical prostheses and information technology.

Session Topics


H-1 Algorithms, mechanisms and structures in nature as an inspiration for mimicking

Biological approaches and solutions
Evolution strategy as a mean of optimisation; Modelling and simulation of biological mechanisms; Theory, modelling, numerical simulation of processes, structures, properties and behaviour; Mechanisation of cognition

Biomechanics
Mechanisms, integrated system design and control; DNA technologies, design and control strategies, self replication

Biologically inspired structures
Morphing/deployable/packable structures, Nastic structures, Compliant structures, Lightweight structures, Autonomous smart structures and systems; Aesthetic and structural elements

H-2 Biomimetic materials

H-2.1: Bio-inspired and bio-enabled materials and manufacturing

  • Bio-inspired nanomaterials, fibers, composites, functionally graded materials, EAPs, multifunctional materials, organic-inorganic hybrid composites, adaptive fabrics, biomedical materials; Biological materials vs synthetic bio-inspired materials
  • Biomimetic processing, bioclastic processing, self- healing, self-assembly, biomineralization, templating, patterning, hierarchical structures, etc.
H-2.2: Functional bio-inspired surfaces
  • Sticking, anti-adhesive, self-cleaning, thermo- and hydro-regulating, anti friction, drag reduction, sound generation, defense surfacess

H-3 Bio-inspired sensors and actuators

  • Bio-sensing, sensors: sight, sound, smell and taste, infrared, distance, electric and magnetic field, fluid flow, etc.; Physical bio-sensors: strain, flow, optical, tactile, etc.; Chemical bio-sensors: artificial nose, artificial tongue, etc.
    Bio-inspired smart sensor networks

  • Bio-inspired actuators, nano actuators
    Biomolecular sensors and actuators

H-4 Biologically inspired systems, and robotics

  • Signal processing, micro and molecular machines, Neuromorphic devices
  • Haptic interfaces and systems; Power supplies and harvesting; Control algorithms and systems; Cognition; Cyber technology; Mobility; Energetically autonomous robots; Biomimetic techniques for expressive animation
  • Bio-MEMS/NEMS; Bio-nanorobotics

H-5 Biomolecular computing

Theoretical models, biomolecular algorithms, in vivo and in vitro computational processes, experimental demonstrations, simulation tools

H-6 Ongoing and perspective applications of bio-inspired technologies

Aerial locomotion and space structures; Defence and attack mechanisms; Optical, acoustical and mechanical engineering; Information technology, electronics; Energy and environment; Civil engineering; Biotechnology; Biomedical; Transportation; Manufacturing industry; Home, sport; Leisure; Others

Special Session H-7
Biomimetic Flow Control in Aquatic and Aerial Systems and its Application
to Bioinspired Autonomous Vehicles



SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT