Looking for inspiration to jumpstart eco-friendly engineering designs? Why not let nature be your muse. Many companies, including flooring company Interface Inc., have embraced biomimicry R&D practices–in other words, taking their innovation and product design cues from Mother Nature.
Now there’s a new biomimicry database, called AskNature.org, which can help. Sponsored by 3-D design leader Autodesk, AskNature.org is a project of the Biomimicry Institute founded by author Janine Benyus. The experts at the Institute explain biomimicry as a science that studies nature’s models and then imitates or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems. The free, online public-domain library–which founders describe as part search engine, part manifesto and part social network–features biology-inspired design strategies organized by function and explained with illustrations and in language that is relevant to designers.
So for example, if an engineer was trying to solve the challenge of how to glue to surfaces in moist environments, they might study information about barnacles, geckos and other organisms that have solved this problem within their own ecosystem.
Autodesk officials said they were interested in sponsoring the site because they view biomimicry as a revolutionary design concept that can help influence better design decisions. To that end, Autodesk product teams are currently investigating where Autodesk software can support such practices. One current example is Autodesk Seek, launched in May, which lets designers and engineers search for products based on specific performance criteria, now including biomimetic as an attribute.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New disc magnet motors fit into the design trend of stepping up to closed loop performance while maintaining the cost advantage of stepper motor technology.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
A new battery design, which replaces lithium with abundant and low-cost elemental sulfur, is still in its nascent stages but shows real promise for giving batteries more energy potential.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
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For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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