Collaborative Research: Self-Powered Sensory Nerve System for Civil Structures Using Hybrid Forisome Actuators

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This collaborative research is aimed at utilizing the concept of human's mechanoreceptors as a new approach to the development of structural health monitoring and diagnostic systems that synergistically integrate the recently discovered plant-protein forisomes, a novel non-living biological material capable of sensing and actuation. We a sensory nerve system for civil structures will be developed by using forisomes as the mechanoreceptors, nerve fibers, and spinocervical tract to the nodal and central processing units. The significance of this proposal lies in the tremendous potential of forisome-based sensory information transfer for monitoring and diagnostics of mechanical and civil systems. Results of this research will serve as building blocks for the development of an innovative distributed data processing and transfer system that mimics those of a human body, and will lead to a fundamentally unique self-diagnostic technique for engineered systems. This project will also incorporate research results as well as laboratory experiences into the engineering curriculum at both universities through their senior design courses, as well as through more specialized courses on such topics as: novel materials design and processing, smart systems, nano-materials, and forisomes-based VLSI.