Wet adhesion is widely adopted in biological adhesion systems in nature, and it is beneficial to design new materials with desired properties based on the underlying physics of wet adhesion. The aim of this work is to develop a design criterion to regulate the wet adhesion. The effects of different contact shapes (flat and sphere) and morphologies of the substrate (smooth, microstructure and nanostructure)

The effects of hybrid porous-serrated trailing edge on flow structure and sound source of NACA65(12)-10 at moderate Reynolds number (Rec = 5 × 105) have been investigated by Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES). Compared with conventional serrated trailing edge, the pressure fluctuation in the vicinity of hybrid porous-serrated trailing edge is further decreased significantly. The typical necklace

Scientists have long looked to nature and biology in order to understand and model solutions for complex real-world problems. The study of bionics bridges the functions, biological structures and functions and organizational principles found in nature with our modern technologies, numerous mathematical and metaheuristic algorithms have been developed along with the knowledge transferring process from

When humans jump down from a high position, there is a risk of serious injury to the lower limbs. However, cats can jump down from the same heights without any injury because of their excellent ability to attenuate impact forces. The present study aims to investigate the macro/micro biomechanical features of paw pads and limb bones of cats, and the coordination control of joints during landing, providing

Research on antistatic superhydrophobic surfaces has attracted widespread attention in some fields. However, in the application of superhydrophobic materials, fabricating stable and practical superhydrophobic surfaces through facile and low-cost approaches still faces considerable challenges. Herein, a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS)-based antistatic superhydrophobic composite coating with a high water

This paper introduces the design and fabrication of a smart and Hybrid Composite Finger (HCF) to achieve finger-like motions, such as holding and tapping motions. Bionic research on tapping motion of the index finger was conducted to obtain its structural and tapping parameters. The HCF, actuated by Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires, possesses a hybrid structure which is composed of a rigid structure

Foothold identification is a key ability for legged robots that allows generating terrain adaptive behaviors (e.g., gait and control parameters) and thereby improving mobility in complex environment. To this end, this paper addresses the issue of foothold characterization and identification over rugged terrain, from the terrain geometry point of view. For a terrain region that might be a potential

It is generally known that forelimbs and hindlimbs play different roles during locomotion, but the possible differences in the biomechanical functions of the metacarpal pad and metatarsal pad remain unknown. This study combined kinematic and pressure data from dogs to investigate the key roles of the metacarpal and metatarsal pads. The peak vertical ground reaction force of the metacarpal pad was found

Tissue engineered skeletal muscle is expected to treat muscle defects caused by trauma and disease. However, designing and manufacturing thick and complex tissue engineered skeletal muscle requires vascularization to ensure its internal cell viability and nutrient supply in vitro. In this article, we developed a set of Direct-Writing (DW) bio-printing procedure to manufacture a prevascularized composite

Drosophila melanogaster, a.k.a. the common fruit fly, is a simple organism that may give a rapid, high-throughput response in regard to the therapeutic efficacy of nanoparticles and drugs, while circumventing the high environmental and monetary cost of today’s typical in vivo assays involving more complex animals, along with the immeasurable suffering imposed onto them. Here we give the progress report

Wettability plays a vital role in fundamental researches and practical applications. Wettability control and patterning have been widely studied in various fields. Although researches have grown rapidly, the methods are still restricted by limitations including complicated processes, high equipment requirements and shortage of methods to treat complex surfaces. Here we report a simple, low cost, array-based

Wall-climbing robots can work on steep terrain and obtain environment information in three dimensions for human in real time, which can improve operation efficiency. However, traditional single-mode robots cannot ensure the stable attachment on complex wall surfaces. Inspired by the structure characteristics of flies and clingfishes, three bionic structures including the flexible spine wheel, the adhesive

As a bionic therapy, hand-foot crawling has been reported to be used for the rehabilitation of low back pain. However, there have been few relevant biomechanical studies about this type of exercise. The purpose of this study was to calculate muscle activation and lumbar spinal load based on the examined limb kinematics and kinetics, which associated with hand-foot crawling at the different Centre of

Discoveries in geckos locomotion have advanced the bio-inspired robotics. However, the gecko-inspired robots still lag behind animals in attachments and maneuvers due to our failure to understand and implement gecko bionics thoroughly. Here, we studied the toe deployments that facilitate the upside-down motion of geckos by focusing on the directions and contact area of toes to offer inspirations for

The ability of natural living organisms, transferring deformations into locomotion, has attracted researchers’ increasing attention in building bionic actuators and smart systems. As a typical category of functional materials, magnetoresponsive composite elastomers, comprised of flexible elastomer matrices and rigid magnetic particles, have been playing critical roles in this field of research due

In this paper, the effect of stereom structure on the mechanical behavior of the Sea Urchin Inorganic Skeleton (SUIS) has been studied. The stereom microstructure of both Anthocidaris crassispina and Tripnenstes gratilla was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results indicate that a three-layer porous structure consisting of a growth, a support, and a resorption (GSR) layer is a common

Anthropomorphic hands have received increasing research interest in the fields of robotics and prosthetics. But it is not yet clear how to evaluate their anthropomorphism. Similarity in the kinematic chain is essential to achieve both functionality and cosmesis. A few previous works have addressed the definition of anthropomorphism indexes, although they have some limitations in its definition. In

Aerial transportation and manipulation have attracted increasing attention in the unmanned aerial vehicle field, and visual servoing methodology is widely used to achieve the autonomous aerial grasping of a target object. However, the existing marker-based solutions pose a challenge to the practical application of target grasping owing to the difficulty in attaching markers on targets. To address this

The Synthetic Jet (SJ) control on the propulsion behavior of a foil in plunge-pitch motion is examined in this work by numerical simulations. An elliptic foil with ratio of 8 performs the plunge and pitch motions synchronously. A pair of SJs with the same frequency and strength is integrated into the upper and lower surfaces of the foil. As a result, the local flow field around the foil could be obviously

Following the contemporary research trend of exploring the potential of eco-friendly natural fibres, this work studies the effects of alkali and silane treatments, with varying concentrations, on the mechanical characterization of composites reinforced with kenaf and pineapple leaf fibre (PALF). Kenaf- and PALF-based composites were fabricated through the heat compression method. Their mechanical characterization

In this work, bio-inspired concepts, including a Self-Healing (SH) and super hydrophobic structure, were used to produce slow-release of urea fertilizer. Following a bottom-up process, an SH layer on the urea granule was produced from a combination of two natural waxes, palm and carnauba, and fabricated by a hot-melt coating process in a pan coater. Another layer for super hydrophobicity was formed

Ionic Polymer Metal Composite (IPMC) is a novel electrically actuated intelligent material with the advantages of big bending displacement, low driving voltage, flexible and so on. It has been recognized as one of the most attractive actuators with prospective applications for underwater robots and bionic organs. In this work, a capsule-like robot was introduced with the pectoral and caudal fins made

Emulating periodic main wing movement of a bird for generating lift and thrust remains a significant challenge in developing a robotic bird. The sequences of main wing motion are comprised of flapping, folding, bending, and twisting. In this paper, we concentrate on the flapping and folding motion, and design two wing mechanisms based on a 4-bar linkage structure: one is only for Flapping Motion (FM)

Solar power, as one of renewable energy, holds potential application for producing steam which relies on high-temperature liquid by traditional methods. Herein, steam was generated by a bio-inspired strategy derived from the plants transpiration using a Printed Recyclable Carbon Membrane (PRCM). The membrane structure facilitated the concentration of carbon particles for the photoreaction and the heat

This innovative work presents mechanical, physical and chemical characterization and analysis of newly extracted fiber from naturally resourced plant stem, named Spinifex littoreus fibers (SLF). This is a novel natural, biodegradable and sustainable reinforcement for an improved composite. Initially, the chemical constituents of SLF, such as cellulose, lignin, moisture and wax content were studied

Tuna, known for high endurance cruising, have already inspired several underwater robots and swimming studies. This study uses a biomimetic robotic tuna to investigate how different caudal fin planform geometries affect the thrust production and flow structures during Body and/or Caudal Fin (BCF) swimming. The robot was tethered to a circulating water tunnel, and swimming was simulated by moving water

The morphology of bone repair materials, such as particle size and roughness of the materials surface, can affect the adsorption of protein molecules. The effects of surface morphology on the absorption of proteins with different charges were studied. Submicron and nano hydroxyapatite (HA) powders prepared by the chemical precipitation method were coated on the surface of a gold sheet by electrophoretic

Energy efficiency has been the focus of quadruped robot research. Decreasing the energy loss caused by the DC motor can contribute to the walking efficiency of electrically actuated quadruped robots. Most works have focused on the quadruped mechanisms or actuations such as the Series Elastic Actuation (SEA). This work proposes a better efficient controller to perform the stable 5 m·s−1 movements of

Fish commonly execute rapid linear accelerations initiated during steady swimming, yet the function of the median fins during this process is less understood. We find that the erection/folding time (from the starting time of the linear acceleration (0 s) to the starting time of the folding movement of the fin), as well as the spreading area of the median fins, actively change during the linear acceleration

Fugitive dust has been recognized as an important contributor to air pollution, and artificial porous fence is one of the most effective management strategies to reduce fugitive dust in open areas. To improve the shelter effects and efficiency of Particulate Matter (PM) reduction of traditional fences, this study proposed five bionic fences and their capability was evaluated through wind tunnel tests

In modern mechanical design, non-sticky and non-slippery surfaces are highly preferred in many applications. In this work, bio-inspired micro patterns of hexagonal pillar and round dimple with various geometric parameters are fabricated, and the static friction and adhesion performances of the prepared surfaces are investigated. It is found that hexagonal pillar patterns can enhance the static friction

This paper presents a frog-inspired swimming robot based on articulated pneumatic soft actuator. To realize the miniaturization of the robot and enhance its environmental adaptability, combined with the advantages and characteristics of soft materials, an articulated pneumatic soft actuator is designed based on analysis of a frog’s propulsion characteristics. A structural model is established to analyse

Higher strength and lower degradation rate of Fe compared to magnesium and zinc have made it the most reliable for orthopaedic reconstruction. Hence, this paper studies the morphological and mechanical characteristics of porous Fe fabricated using subtractive manufacturing for load bearing bone replacement. Three types of porous Fe (19%, 39% and 59%) were prepared and then modelled into a 3D model

A flexible Artificial Lateral Line (ALL) sensor is presented in this paper, featuring a barium titanate/polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene [BTO/P(VDF-TrFE)] nanofiber mat, a hydrogel cupula, and a constriction structure in the canal.. The excellent piezoelectric performance of the BTO/P(VDF-TrFE) nanofiber, superior to that of a pristine P(VDF-TrFE) nanofiber, helps improve the sensitivity of

This paper reports the effect of the Center of Gravity (CG) position on lateral flight dynamic stability of hovering KUBeetle, a tailless FW-MAV, providing further insights on the effects of asymmetries in body mass distribution and wing kinematics. For the current study, the standard linearized equations of motion were applied as in the previous work on longitudinal dynamic stability. The stability

A foot positioning compensator is developed in this paper for a full-body humanoid to retrieve its balance during continuous walking. An online Foot Position Compensator (FPC) is designed to improve the robustness of biped walking, which can modify predefined step position and step duration online with sensory feedback. Foot placement parameters are learned by the FPC based on the Policy Gradient Reinforcement

Improving the strength of bone cement is one of the critical goals in cement designing to maintain their integrity and stabilize connection between the cement and their surrounding tissue during the time that the cement has been replaced by matured bone tissue. To this aim, the authors decided to evaluate setting behavior and compressive strength of Magnesium Phosphate Cement (MPC) by adding car-boxylated

Abstract Areca catechu, is a species of palm belonging to the family of Arecaceae/Palmae, grows vertically, to the height of 10 m to 20 m, the stem is straight, solitary and slender, 10 cm to 15 cm in diameter, with marks of annulated scars of fallen leaf sheaths. Areca fibres are predominantly extracted not only from the fruit as areca husk, but also from leaf stalks and fronds. In this review paper

Abstract Metals are indispensable engineered materials for day-to-day life. Researches focused on metallic surfaces with superlyophobicity (superhydrophobicity, superoleophobicity, underwater superoleophobicity and slippery characteristic) have attracted much attention recently. Nature is a magician that gives each organic life a unique advantage. Researchers have created a large number of biomimetic

Abstract Magnesium (Mg), is widely used for the bone repair in oral and orthopedic application due to excellent bioactivity, degradation and biocompatibility. However, the range of application is greatly limited because of the rapid degradation of Mg metal in the body. Surface modification is an effective method to enhance the corrosion resistance and reduce the degradation rate of Mg metal. In the

Abstract The two-dimensional (2D) inclined stroke plane kinematics of insect wing is studied for various stroke plane angles using the Immersed Boundary (IB) solver. The numerical results revealed the dominant lift enhancement mechanisms for this class of flows. The generated dipole was analyzed to find the maximum velocity, inclination and spread. The analysis of these dipole characteristics for the

Abstract This paper presents the design, modeling, integration, and application of 3D printed high power hexapole magnetic tweezers for 3D micromanipulation applications. Six sharp-tipped magnetic poles were configured with electromagnetic coils and mounted on 3D printed magnetic yokes to form a tilted Cartesian coordinate system for actuation. A closed loop control algorithm was developed to automatically

Abstract Potential use of condensate generated by cooling the steam obtained during high-frequency/vacuum drying step of hardwood lumber was investigated. The liquid condensates were obtained from oak, beech and walnut wood. This liquid condensate was then used as a replacement for deionized water in the synthesis of Urea-Formaldehyde (UF) resin (5 wt% of total resin) using a laboratory scale reactor

Abstract This paper describes a flexible pressure sensor based on polypyrrole(PPy)-Cotton composites, in which PPy is grown on cellulose fibers of cotton pads via an in situ vapor growth method, which is beneficial to the homogeneity of the composites. The resulting devices exhibits rapid response and recovery speed, the response and recovery times are 220 ms and 240 ms, respectively. The optimal PPy-Cotton

Abstract Various bio-inspired dry adhesive materials have been investigated. In this work, lithography and silicon deep etching method were used to fabricate bio-inspired micro-pillar dry adhesive materials of which the parameters, such as side length, Height to Side length Aspect Ratio (HSAR), and inter-pillar Distance to Side length Aspect Ratio (DSAR) were comprehensively studied to obtain a dry

Abstract This paper presents an innovative design for a biomimetic whale shark-like underwater glider aiming at the combination of high maneuverability and long duration. As a hybrid of the underwater glider and the robotic fish, its pectoral fins and tail can serve as not only the external control surfaces for attitude regulation during gliding but also the propellers for agile fish-like swimming

Abstract Nano-ceramic particles can serve as reinforcing agents for metallic materials to improve their mechanical properties. However, it is important to ensure chemical compatibility between the matrix and particles. In the present study, magnesium composites with and without nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) particles were fabricated for bone reconstruction applications. Two different techniques were used

Abstract A major advantage of animal aggregations concerns cooperative antipredator strategies. Schooling behavior emerges earlier in many fish species, especially in those cannibalizing their offspring. Experience is fundamental for developing schooling behavior. However, the cognitive ability of naive newborn fish to aggregate remains unclear. Herein, Poecilia reticulata, was selected as model organism

Abstract Inspired by cicada wings, a flexible film with self-cleaning and broadband antireflection properties was fabricated with a rapid, straightforward and cost-effective method. The cicada wing was selected as the original template, and a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) negative replica was obtained by evaporation solvent process. The original template was directly peeled off. Subsequently, the

The names of the authors were incorrect in the published paper and should be revised as “Joanne Becker, Emmanuel Mermoz, Jean-Marc Linares”.

Abstract A photocatalyst of Au/ZnO (s-Au/ZnO) has been prepared via an approach, which uses spinach leaves with interconnected hierarchical structure as sacrificial biological template. The resultant s-Au/ZnO has well maintained the physical characteristics of the spinach leaf and demonstrated superior photocatalytic performance as well as enhanced photocurrent generation capability. Moreover, functional

Abstract TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) have a great potential in improving the osetointegration of titanium (Ti)-based biomaterials. Much efforts have been made to evaluate the biological performance of the TiO2 nanotube in regulating protein adsorption and cells attachments. As often used in orthopaedic applications, although biotribological performance and biocorrosion are important issues in these applications

Abstract In Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) guided intervention procedures, the flexibility and reliability of the mammary gland fixation device are important indicators for ensuring the quality of surgery. This paper presents a bionic flexible fixation system for MRI-guided breast biopsy, and establishes a mathematical model of the palm-type curved plate and a breast compression model. The bending

This paper presents the design and control of a pneumatically actuated transtibial prosthesis, which utilizes a pneumatic cylinder-type actuator to power the prosthetic ankle joint to support the user's locomotion. The pneumatic actuator has multiple advantages over the traditional electric motor, such as light weight, low cost, and high power-to-weight ratio. The objective of this work is to develop

Human dental enamel forms over a period of 2 - 4 years by substituting the enamel matrix, a protein gel mostly composed of a single protein, amelogenin with fibrous apatite nanocrystals. Self-assembly of a dense amelogenin matrix is presumed to direct the growth of apatite fibers and their organization into bundles that eventually comprise the mature enamel, the hardest tissue in the mammalian body