CAREER: A Biomimetic Approach to the Design of Shape-Controlled Systems

模仿自然生物来解决工程设计问题引发了生物医学和材料科学的革命性发展。在这些情况下，自然设计问题和工程设计问题往往密切相关，设计概念的直接转移是可能的。然而，为了充分利用自然设计概念，并将仿生设计方法应用于广泛的工程设计问题，需要一个基于抽象和综合的形式化设计框架来促进对仿生设计的基本理解。这一职业发展计划的动机是将仿生学扩展到正式设计方法的挑战。拟议的工作将提供一个正式的设计框架，允许对广泛的自然系统进行系统研究，并将促进生物启发的解决方案迅速融入工程设计。研究项目将集中于开发和应用独特的优化工具，用于自适应、形状控制、宏观和微观系统的仿生设计。形状控制是大多数自适应系统的基本能力，如光机电开关和配备变形机翼的下一代飞机。以设计为导向的课程，由新的教育设计优化软件平台增强，以及垂直整合的设计团队将促进未来设计工程师的技能。外展活动将在K-12学生和代表性不足的群体中推广工程设计学科。研究和演绎活动将通过与生理学家、国家实验室的设计小组和软件公司的全面合作来加强。

Mimicking natural organisms to solve engineering design problems has triggered revolutionary developments in bio-medical and material sciences. In these instances the natural and the engineering design problems are most often closely related, and a direct transfer of design concepts was possible. However, to fullyexploit natural design concepts and to apply biomimetic design approaches to a broad range of engineering design problems, a formal design framework based on abstraction and synthesis is needed to facilitate the fundamental understanding of biomimetic design. This career-development plan is motivated by the challenges of extending biomimetics into a formal design approach. The proposed work will provide a formal design framework, will allow the systematic study of a broad range of natural systems, and will foster the rapid integration of biologically inspired solutionsinto engineering design. The research projects will focus on the development and the application of unique optimization tools for the biomimetic design of adaptive, shape-controlled, macro and micro systems.Controlling the shape is an essential capability of most adaptive systems, such as optical micro-electromechanical switches and next generation aircraft equipped with morphing wings. Design oriented courses, enhanced by a new educational design optimization software platform, and vertically integrated design teams will promote the skills of future design engineers. Outreach activities will promote engineering design disciplines among K-12 students and underrepresented groups. The research andeducational activities will be enhanced by comprehensive collaborations with physiologists, design groups at national laboratories, and software companies.