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A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Optimisation and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2023) | Viewed by 12412

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Dr. Honghao Zhang

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Guest Editor

School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, China
Interests: bionic structure design; biomaterials; numerical simulation; multidisciplinary optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Yong Peng

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Guest Editor

School of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410075, China
Interests: bionic structure design; traffic and vehicle crash safety; simulation; optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Danqi Wang

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Guest Editor

School of Automobile and Mechanical Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, China
Interests: conceptual design; structural safety and energy saving design; multidisciplinary optimization
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Dr. Dongkai Chu

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Guest Editor

School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, China
Interests: bionic structure design, optimization, and processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Computer-aided biomimetics is an interdisciplinary research field that combines computer science and biomimetics. Drawing inspiration from nature's excellent designs, computer-aided biomimetics utilizes computer modeling and simulation techniques to mimic biological systems and apply the derived design and optimization insights to engineering and scientific fields. It finds wide-ranging applications and potential in areas such as materials science, mechanical engineering, aerospace, medicine, energy, and many more. The emergence of computer-aided biomimetics opens up new possibilities for engineers and scientists to tackle real-world problems, and holds the potential to drive technological innovation and scientific progress in the future. Many advanced technologies have been applied to the field of computer-aided biomimetics.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to incorporate the latest research studies in the field of advanced methods and applications, from either theoretical or practical perspectives. The relevant topics for this Special Issue include but are not limited to the following areas:

Multi-scale modeling and design of material structures;
Conceptual design and bio-structure design;
Bionic functional surface and bionic structure processing;
Mechanical structure and motion control of robot based on bionics principle;
Performance analysis and evaluation of computer-aided biomimetics;
Multidisciplinary optimization algorithms for computer-aided biomimetics;
Application of AI in computer-aided biomimetics;
Other related research topics.

Dr. Honghao Zhang
Prof. Dr. Yong Peng
Dr. Danqi Wang
Dr. Dongkai Chu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

computer modeling
numerical simulation
bionic structures
design and optimization
motion control
bionic functional surface
performance analysis

Related Special Issue

Computer-Aided Biomimetics: 2nd Edition in Biomimetics

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3117 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Parameter Reduction-Based Decision-Making Method with Interval-Valued Neutrosophic Soft Sets for the Selection of Bionic Thin-Wall Structures

by Honghao Zhang, Lingyu Wang, Danqi Wang, Zhongwei Huang, Dongtao Yu and Yong Peng

Biomimetics 2024, 9(4), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9040208 - 29 Mar 2024

Viewed by 603

Abstract

Bio-inspired thin-wall structures with excellent mechanical properties, high-energy absorption capabilities, and a desirable lightweight level have been extensively applied to the passive safety protection of transportation and aerospace. Collaboration matching and the selection of optional structures with different bionic principles considering the multiple attribute evaluation index and engineering preference information have become an urgent problem. This paper proposes a parameter reduction-based indifference threshold-based attribute ratio analysis method under an interval-valued neutrosophic soft set (IVNS-SOFT) to obtain the weight vector of an evaluation indicator system for the selection of bionic thin-wall structures, which can avoid the problem of an inadequate subjective evaluation and reduce redundant parameters. An IVNS-SOFT-based multi-attributive border approximation area comparison (MABAC) method is proposed to obtain an optimal alternative, which can quantify uncertainty explicitly and handle the uncertain and inconsistent information prevalent in the expert system. Subsequently, an application of five bio-inspired thin-wall structures is applied to demonstrate that this proposed method is valid and practical. Comparative analysis, sensitivity analysis, and discussion are conducted in this research. The results show that this study provides an effective tool for the selection of bionic thin-wall structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer-Aided Biomimetics)

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22 pages, 16640 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Model-Free Control of a Soft Pneumatic Segment

by Jorge Francisco García-Samartín, Raúl Molina-Gómez and Antonio Barrientos

Biomimetics 2024, 9(3), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9030127 - 21 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1086

Abstract

Soft robotics faces challenges in attaining control methods that ensure precision from hard-to-model actuators and sensors. This study focuses on closed-chain control of a segment of PAUL, a modular pneumatic soft arm, using elastomeric-based resistive sensors with negative piezoresistive behaviour irrespective of ambient temperature. PAUL’s performance relies on bladder inflation and deflation times. The control approach employs two neural networks: the first translates position references into valve inflation times, and the second acts as a state observer to estimate bladder inflation times using sensor data. Following training, the system achieves position errors of 4.59 mm, surpassing the results of other soft robots presented in the literature. The study also explores system modularity by assessing performance under external loads from non-actuated segments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer-Aided Biomimetics)

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17 pages, 5623 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Hierarchical Prediction Method for Pedestrian Head Injury in Intelligent Vehicle with Combined Active and Passive Safety System

by Liangliang Shi, Honghao Zhang, Lintao Wu, Yu Liu, Kuo Cheng, Yong Han and Danqi Wang

Biomimetics 2024, 9(3), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9030124 - 21 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1003

Abstract

With the development of intelligent vehicle technology, the probability of road traffic accidents occurring has been effectively reduced to a certain extent. However, there is still insufficient research on head injuries in human vehicle collisions, making it impossible to effectively predict pedestrian head injuries in accidents. To study the efficacy of a combined active and passive safety system on pedestrian head protection through the combined effect of the exterior airbag and the braking control systems of an intelligent vehicle, a “vehicle–pedestrian” interaction system is constructed in this study and is verified by real collision cases. On this basis, a combined active and passive system database is developed to analyze the cross-influence of the engine hood airbag and the vehicle braking curve parameters on pedestrian HIC (head injury criterion). Meanwhile, a hierarchy design strategy for a combined active and passive system is proposed, and a rapid prediction of HIC is achieved via the establishment of a fitting equation for each grading. The results show that the exterior airbag can effectively protect the pedestrian’s head, prevent the collision between the pedestrian’s head and the vehicle front structure, and reduce the HIC. The braking parameter H₂ is significantly correlated with head injury, and when H₂ is less than 1.8, the HIC value is less than 1000 in nearly 90% of cases. The hierarchy design strategy and HIC prediction method of the combined active and passive system proposed in this paper can provide a theoretical basis for rapid selection and parameter design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer-Aided Biomimetics)

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17 pages, 21110 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biomimetic Study of a Honeycomb Energy Absorption Structure Based on Straw Micro-Porous Structure

by Shucai Xu, Nuo Chen, Haoyi Qin, Meng Zou and Jiafeng Song

Biomimetics 2024, 9(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9010060 - 21 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1113

Abstract

In this paper, sorghum and reed, which possess light stem structures in nature, were selected as biomimetic prototypes. Based on their mechanical stability characteristics—the porous structure at the node feature and the porous feature in the outer skin— biomimetic optimization design, simulation, and experimental research on both the traditional hexagonal structure and a hexagonal honeycomb structure were carried out. According to the two types of straw microcell and chamber structure characteristics, as well as the cellular energy absorption structure for the bionic optimization design, 22 honeycomb structures in 6 categories were considered, including a corrugated cell wall bionic design, a modular cell design, a reinforcement plate structure, and a self-similar structure, as well as a porous cell wall structure and gradient structures of variable wall thickness. Among them, HTPC-3 (a combined honeycomb structure), HSHT (a self-similar honeycomb structure), and HBCT-257 (a radial gradient variable wall thickness honeycomb structure) had the best performance: their energy absorption was 41.06%, 17.84%, and 83.59% higher than that of HHT (the traditional hexagonal honeycomb decoupling unit), respectively. Compared with HHT (a traditional hexagon honeycomb decoupling unit), the specific energy absorption was increased by 39.98%, 17.24%, and 26.61%, respectively. Verification test analysis revealed that the combined honeycomb structure performed the best and that its specific energy absorption was 22.82% higher than that of the traditional hexagonal structure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer-Aided Biomimetics)

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18 pages, 6337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Pedestrians’ Head and Lower Limb Injuries in Tram–Pedestrian Collisions

by Yong Peng, Zhengsheng Hu, Zhixiang Liu, Quanwei Che and Gongxun Deng

Biomimetics 2024, 9(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9010017 - 01 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1282

Abstract

Analysis of pedestrians’ head and lower limb injuries at the tissue level is lacking in studies of tram–pedestrian collisions. The purpose of this paper therefore to investigate the impact response process and severity of pedestrians’ injuries in tram–pedestrian collisions, using the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) pedestrian human body model together with the tram FE model. Two full-scale tram–pedestrian dummy crash tests were performed to validate the FE model, and the total correlation and analysis (CORA) score of head acceleration yielded values of 0.840 and 0.734, confirming a strong agreement between the FE-simulated head responses and the experimental head kinematics. The effects of different tram speeds and impact angles on pedestrians’ impact response injuries and the differences were further analyzed. The results indicate that direct impact of the lower limb with the tram’s obstacle deflector leads to lower limb bone shaft fractures and knee tissue damage. Neck fling contributed to worsened head injury. Coup contusions were the predominant type of brain contusion, surpassing contrecoup contusions, while diffuse axonal injury was mainly concentrated in the collision-side region of the brain. Pedestrians’ injuries are influenced by tram velocity and impact angle: higher tram velocities increase the risk of lower limb and head injuries. The risk of head injury for pedestrians is higher when the impact angle is negative, while lower limb injuries are more significant when the impact angle is 0°. This study provides practical guidance for enhancing tram safety and protecting pedestrians. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer-Aided Biomimetics)

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13 pages, 867 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biomimetic Random Pulse Computation or Why Do Humans Play Basketball Better than Robots?

by Mario Stipčević

Biomimetics 2023, 8(8), 594; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8080594 - 07 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1066

Abstract

In this work, we compare the basketball scoring performance of two imaginary (simulated) mechanical robots in conditions of erroneous information-processing circuits: Machine, whose moves are controlled by a conventional digital computer and Man, controlled by a random pulse computer composed of biologically-inspired circuits which execute basic arithmetic operations. This is the first comparative study of robustness of the digital and the random pulse computing paradigms, with respect to the error rate of the information-processing circuits (

p_{e r r}

), for a mechanical robot. In spite of the fact that Man’s computer consists of only about 100 logic gates while Machine’s requires about 3500 gates, Man achieves a significantly higher scoring probability for

p_{e r r}

in the range from 0.01% all the way to 10%, while at lower

p_{e r r}

, both converge to the perfect score. Furthermore, Man’s hits make up a smooth Gaussian distribution with a vanishing probability of making large misses even at the highest

p_{e r r}

, while Machine is prone to spectacular misses already at

p_{e r r}

as low as 1 part-per-million. These findings indicate that the biologically inspired computation requires less hardware for the same task, and ensures higher robustness and better behaving operation than digital computation, which are characteristics of importance for the survivability of living beings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer-Aided Biomimetics)

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28 pages, 7840 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Impact Resistance of Aluminum Alloy New Rotating Thin-Walled Structures

by Shu-Cai Xu, Nuo Chen, Hao-Yi Qin, Rui-Xiang Wang, Xin Yang and Jia-Feng Song

Biomimetics 2023, 8(8), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8080590 - 05 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1102

Abstract

Honeycomb structures are widely used in the field of impact resistance and are constantly being developed and updated. In this paper, the design of three new aluminum alloy rotating thin-walled structures (NRTS) are examined. These structures combine common concave structures and rotating, rigid-body structures. The purpose of this study is to solve the problem of the poor energy absorption capacity of rotating, rigid-body structure due to small deformation and to provide a reference for honeycomb mechanism designs. The Young’s modulus, the critical velocity, and the platform stress of the NRTS structure are derived from theoretical analysis. The dynamic response of the NRTS structure at different impact velocities is investigated using finite element simulation software. The results show that the rotating, thin-walled recessed honeycomb (RTRH) increases the plateau stress by 124% and 51% as compared to rotating, thin-walled square tubes (RTSTs) and the re-entrant hexagonal structure (RH), respectively; the rotating, thin-walled quadruple-arc honeycomb structure (RTQH) increases the SEA by 21% and 20% as compared to the RTST and RH, respectively; and the rotating thin-walled double-arc honeycomb structure (RTDH) increases the CEF by 54% and 51% as compared to the RTST and RH, respectively. During the study, it was demonstrated that NTRS also exhibits good energy absorption capacity. Then, the effect of rotation angle on the energy absorption performance was analyzed. The cell and wall thickness of the NTRS structure were optimized according to the gradient theory. It was proved that the gradient optimized structure has better energy absorption performance as compared to the uniform structure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer-Aided Biomimetics)

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22 pages, 22481 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on High-Velocity Impact Perforation Performance of CFRP Laminates for Rail Vehicles: Experiment and Simulation

by Xuanzhen Chen, Yong Peng, Kui Wang, Xin Wang, Zhixiang Liu, Zhiqiang Huang and Honghao Zhang

Biomimetics 2023, 8(8), 568; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8080568 - 27 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1024

Abstract

To study the perforation performance of CFRP laminates for rail vehicles under high-velocity impact from foreign objects, impact tests on CFRP laminates at a velocity of 163 m/s were carried out, and a corresponding finite element model was established using ABAQUS and verified. The user-defined material subroutine combined the material strain rate hardening effect and the 3D-Hashin damage criterion. The effects of impact velocity, impact object shape, and oblique angle on the perforation performance of CFRP laminates are discussed. Results show that impact velocity positively correlates with impact peak force and residual velocity. Laminates can be perforated by projectiles with a velocity above 120 m/s, and impact velocity greatly influences delamination below 140 m/s. Three shapes of projectile impacting laminates are considered: spherical, cylindrical, and conical. The conical projectile penetrates the laminate most easily, with the largest delamination area. The cylindrical projectile with a flat end suffers the most resistance, and the delaminated area is between the impact conditions of the conical and spherical projectiles. Increasing the angle of inclination increases the impacted area of the laminate and the extent of damage, thus dissipating more energy. The projectile fails to penetrate the laminate when the oblique angle reaches 60°. CFRP composite structures penetrated by high-speed impacts pose a significant threat to the safety of train operations, providing an opportunity for the application of bio-inspired composite structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer-Aided Biomimetics)

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20 pages, 11104 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Reconstruction of Cyclist Impact Accidents: Can Helmets Protect the Head-Neck of Cyclists?

by Fang Wang, Ke Peng, Tiefang Zou, Qiqi Li, Fan Li, Xinghua Wang, Jiapeng Wang and Zhou Zhou

Biomimetics 2023, 8(6), 456; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8060456 - 27 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1170

Abstract

Cyclists are vulnerable road users and often suffer head-neck injuries in car–cyclist accidents. Wearing a helmet is currently the most prevalent protection method against such injuries. Today, there is an ongoing debate about the ability of helmets to protect the cyclists’ head-neck from injury. In the current study, we numerically reconstructed five real-world car–cyclist impact accidents, incorporating previously developed finite element models of four cyclist helmets to evaluate their protective performances. We made comparative head-neck injury predictions for unhelmeted and helmeted cyclists. The results show that helmets could clearly lower the risk of severe (AIS 4+) brain injury and skull fracture, as assessed by the predicted head injury criterion (HIC), while a relatively limited decrease in AIS 4+ brain injury risk can be achieved in terms of the analysis of CSDM_0.25. Assessment using the maximum principal strain (MPS_0.98) and head impact power (HIP) criteria suggests that helmets could lower the risk of diffuse axonal injury and subdural hematoma of the cyclist. The helmet efficacy in neck protection depends on the impact scenario. Therefore, wearing a helmet does not seem to cause a significant neck injury risk level increase to the cyclist. Our work presents important insights into the helmet’s efficacy in protecting the head-neck of cyclists and motivates further optimization of protective equipment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer-Aided Biomimetics)

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15 pages, 4812 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Sensor Fusion Approach for Precise Hand Tracking in Virtual Reality-Based Human—Computer Interaction

by Yu Lei, Yi Deng, Lin Dong, Xiaohui Li, Xiangnan Li and Zhi Su

Biomimetics 2023, 8(3), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8030326 - 22 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2146

Abstract

The rapidly evolving field of Virtual Reality (VR)-based Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) presents a significant demand for robust and accurate hand tracking solutions. Current technologies, predominantly based on single-sensing modalities, fall short in providing comprehensive information capture due to susceptibility to occlusions and environmental factors. In this paper, we introduce a novel sensor fusion approach combined with a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)-based algorithm for enhanced hand tracking in VR-based HCI. Our system employs six Leap Motion controllers, two RealSense depth cameras, and two Myo armbands to yield a multi-modal data capture. This rich data set is then processed using LSTM, ensuring the accurate real-time tracking of complex hand movements. The proposed system provides a powerful tool for intuitive and immersive interactions in VR environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer-Aided Biomimetics)

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