The program consists of three modules: biodigital, synthetic biology and biomimicry. Each module started with inspirational talks, followed by hands-on laboratory session/fieldwork, and finished with design challenges that encourage the students to ideate and prototype their ideas. The outcomes of Hack Biodesign showed that we could stimulate the students to develop novel interdisciplinary projects
Inspired by the workings of a bat’s ear, Rolf Mueller, a professor of mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, has created bio-inspired technology that determines the location of a sound’s origin. Mueller’s development works from a simpler and more accurate model of sound location than previous approaches, which have traditionally been modeled […]
News, Plant gene found in insect, shields it from leaf toxins
Millions of years ago, aphid-like insects called whiteflies incorporated a portion of DNA from plants into their genome. A research team reveals that whiteflies use this stolen gene to degrade common toxins plants use to defend themselves against insects, allowing the whitefly to feed on the plants […]
Biologists have long experienced the challenges of documenting ocean life, with many species of fish proving quite sensitive to the underwater movements of humans. As a possible solution, computer scientists have been developing special marine robots that can stealthily move among their carbon-based counterparts: in 2018, for example, a team from […]
This connection describes the annual Institute of Biological Engineering occurring virtually April 9-10th 2021. The IBE Annual Conference is a gathering of the world’s leading researchers and educators in biological engineering, who share a passion for building a better future.The conference is an excellent opportunity to develop professional skills and network with peers in the […]
To develop innovative technical solutions, designers seek inspiration from nature and its almost infinite pool of biological solutions. However, understanding biological solutions and transferring appropriate analogies to develop technical solutions pose a considerable challenge. A strategy to facilitate interdisciplinary understanding is collaboration between engineers and biologists.
This paper investigates the aerodynamics of the boxfish to discover if the boxfish shape can be adapted for achieving low drag and energy efficient motor vehicle design. Through the usage of CAD modeling and CFD modeling data, this data proved that indicates that the drag coefficient of a boxfish is around […]
There are many bio-inspired inventions and bio-discoveries that lead to amazing innovations. However, this bio-discovery turns out to resemble a technology that is already actively used. Just as it is hard to listen to person talking in a crowded room, frogs must also adjust their hearing to block out certain noises […]
Animal wings produce an acoustic signature in flight. Many owls are able to suppress this noise to fly quietly relative to other birds. Instead of silent flight, certain birds have conversely evolved to produce extra sound with their wings for communication. The papers in this symposium synthesize ongoing research in “animal […]
Paper, Technology Based on Rodent Neurons
Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is a quintessential problem in autonomous navigation, augmented reality, and virtual reality. In particular, low-power SLAM has gained increasing importance for its applications in power-limited edge devices such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and small-sized cars that constitute devices with edge intelligence. This article presents a […]
Paper, Ground sampler based on Sea Urchin Jaws
This research paper explores the possibility of using design ideas taken from the sea urchins’ mouth to build ground biopsy harvesters. Called Aristotle’s lantern, the mouth of sea urchins are composed of five calcium carbonate teeth that are arranged in a dome-like foundation. This shape that has the teeth protrude outwards […]
The platypus remains one of the strangest mammals alive with its electricity-sensing bill and venomous heel spurs. However, researchers have yet discovered another odd feature of this creature; their fur fluoresces under ultraviolet light. The purpose of this ability is not well-known, whether […]
Learn about our two Decals!
Click here to find out more about our Fall Bioinspired Design Decal and our Spring Bioinspired Design in Action Decal – ALL MAJORS are welcome.
Berkeley BioDesign Community
Click here to learn about the BioD: Bio-Inspired Design @ Berkeley student organization or here to signup for more info.
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I imagine that the neurological circuits underlying these processes are governed by both 2d spacing maps with their brains as…
to reduce the impact of car accidents, it may be possible to study the force diverting physics of cockroaches to…
you see this type of head-bobbing stability in many avian creatures related to pigeons like chickens. the head ability to…
not like they taught horses how to run! this is an example of convergent evolution where both sea creatures and…
The brain functions in a similar way with neuronal connections. our brains are able to utilize the multiplicity of connections…