The scope of bionics research mainly includes: mechanic bionics, molecular bionics, energy bionics, and information and control bionics.
Mechanical bionics, is the study and imitation of the organism's macrostructure and fine structure of the hydrostatic nature, as well as the components of the organism in the body of the relative motion and the kinetic nature of the organism's movement in the environment. For example, the architectural imitation of shell repair of large-span thin shell building, imitation of the femur structure of the construction of the column, not only to eliminate the special concentration of stress areas, but also can be used to minimize the building materials to withstand the maximum load. Military imitation of dolphin skin groove structure, the artificial dolphin skin wrapped in the shell of the ship, can reduce the navigation of the speculative flow, increase the speed of navigation;
Molecular bionics, is the study and simulation of biological organisms in the catalytic effect of enzymes, biological membranes, selectivity, permeability, biological macromolecules or their analogues, such as the analysis and synthesis. For example, after figuring out the chemical structure of the sex-inducing hormone of the forest pest, a similar organic compound was synthesized, which can trap and kill males with one ten millionth of a microgram in the field cage;
Energy bionics, is the study and simulation of bioelectrical organ bioluminescence, muscle directly converts chemical energy into mechanical energy, and other energy conversion processes in the living organism;
Information and control bionics
Information and control bionics, is the study and simulation of sensory organs, neurons and neural networks, as well as the intelligent activities of the higher center of the organism in the information processing process. For example, according to the weevil visual reaction made of "autocorrelation tachymeter" can determine the landing speed of the airplane. Based on the working principle of the retinal side inhibitory network of the compound eye of the horseshoe crab, some devices have been successfully developed to enhance the image contour and increase the contrast, thus contributing to the detection of fuzzy targets. More than 100 neuron models have been established, and a new type of computer has been constructed based on them.
Mimicking the human learning process, a machine called a "perceptron" has been created, which can be trained to learn by changing the weights of the connections between components, thus enabling pattern recognition. It also studies and simulates homeostasis in vivo, control mechanisms in biological systems such as motor control, orientation and navigation in animals, and bionics aspects of human-machine systems.
In some literature, parts of molecular bionics and energy bionics are referred to as chemo-bionics, while parts of information and control bionics are referred to as neuromimicry.
The scope of bionics is broad, and information and control bionics is a major field. On the one hand, due to the need for automation to intelligent control, on the other hand, due to the biological sciences have developed to such a stage that the study of the brain has become the greatest challenge to neuroscience. The bionic aspects of artificial intelligence and intelligent robotics research - the study of biological pattern recognition, the study and simulation of the brain's learning memory and thinking processes, the reliability of control and coordination problems in living organisms, etc. - are the main areas of bionic research.
Control and information bionics and biological cybernetics are closely related. Both study control and information processes in biological systems, and both use models of biological systems. However, the former aims mainly at constructing practical artificial hardware systems; whereas biocybernetics seeks explanations for biological behavior from the general principles of cybernetics and from the theories of technological sciences.
The widest use of analogy, simulation, and modeling methods is a distinguishing feature of the biomimetic approach to research. The aim is not to directly reproduce every detail, but to understand the workings of biological systems with the central purpose of realizing specific functions. -Generally, the following three related aspects exist in bionics research: biological prototypes, mathematical models and hardware models. The former is the foundation, the latter is the purpose, and the mathematical model is the essential bridge between the two.
Because of the complexity of biological systems, figuring out the mechanism of a certain biological system requires a fairly long research cycle, and solving practical problems requires close collaboration among multiple disciplines over a long period of time, which is the main reason limiting the speed of development of bionics.
Other biological subdisciplines
Overview of biology, botany, sporology, zoology, microbiology, cell biology, molecular biology, taxonomy, habituation, physiology, bacteriology, microbial physiology, microbial genetics, soil microbiology, cytology, cytochemistry, cytogenetics, immunology, embryology, eugenics, Sydney biology, genetics, molecular genetics, ecology, biomimicry, biophysics, biomechanics, bioenergetics, bioacoustics, biochemistry, biomathematics
Attachment: Some Examples of "Bionics"
The Fly and the Spaceship
The fly, which is so annoying, and the grandiose cause of spaceflight seem to have nothing to do with each other. seem irrelevant, but bionics has brought them closer together.
The fly is notorious for its "odor", wherever there is a foul smell and filth, there are their traces. The fly's sense of smell is particularly sensitive, thousands of meters away from the smell can also be sniffed. But the fly does not have a "nose", it relies on what to act as a sense of smell? It turns out that the fly's "nose" - olfactory receptors distributed in the head of a pair of antennae.
Each "nose" only a "nostril" and the outside world, containing hundreds of olfactory nerve cells. If an odor enters the nostril, these nerves immediately convert the odor stimulus into electrical nerve impulses, which are sent to the brain. The brain can distinguish different odor substances according to the different nerve impulses generated by different odor substances. Thus, the fly's antennae act like a sensitive gas analyzer.
Bionomists have been inspired by the structure and function of the fly's olfactory apparatus and have succeeded in producing a very peculiar small gas analyzer. The "probe" of this instrument is not metal, but a live fly. It is a very thin microelectrode inserted into the fly's olfactory nerve, will lead out of the nerve electrical signals amplified by the electronic circuit, sent to the analyzer; analyzer once found the signal of the odorant material, it will be able to issue an alarm. This instrument has been installed in the cockpit of the spacecraft to detect the composition of the gas inside the cabin.
This small gas analyzer can also measure harmful gases in submarines and mines. Using this principle, can also be used to improve the input device of the computer and the structure of the gas chromatography analyzer principle.
From fireflies to artificial cold light
Since mankind invented electric light, life has become much easier and richer. But electric lights can only convert a very small part of the electrical energy into visible light, most of the rest is wasted in the form of heat, and the heat rays of electric lights are harmful to the human eye. So, is there a light source that only emits light and not heat? Humans have looked to nature again.
In nature, there are many organisms that can emit light, such as bacteria, fungi, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, insects and fish, etc., and the light emitted by these animals does not produce heat, so it is also known as "cold light".
In the many luminous animals, fireflies are one of the categories. There are about 1,500 species of fireflies, they emit cold light colors of yellow-green, orange, the brightness of the light also varies. Fireflies emit cold light not only has a high luminous efficiency, and emit cold light are generally very soft, very suitable for human eyes, the intensity of light is also relatively high. Therefore, biological light is an ideal light for humans.
Scientists have found that the luminescent apparatus of fireflies is located in the abdomen. This luminescent apparatus consists of three parts: the luminescent layer, the transparent layer and the reflective layer. The luminescent layer possesses thousands of luminescent cells, all of which contain two substances, luciferin and luciferase. Under the action of luciferase, luciferin, with the participation of intracellular water, and oxidized to emit fluorescence. The glow of fireflies is essentially the process of converting chemical energy into light energy.
As early as the 1940s, people based on the study of fireflies, created a fluorescent lamp, so that the human lighting source has changed a lot. In recent years, scientists first isolated pure luciferin from the luminaries of fireflies, then luciferase, and then, chemically synthesized luciferin. By luciferin, luciferase, ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and water mixed into the biological light source, can be full of explosive gas in the mine when the flash. Since this light has no power source and does not generate a magnetic field, work such as clearing magnetic mines can be done under the illumination of the biological light source.
Now, people have been able to use the method of doping certain chemicals to get a cold light similar to biological light, as security lighting.
Electric Fish and Volt Batteries
There are many organisms in nature that can generate electricity, and there are more than 500 species of fish alone. People will be able to discharge these fish, collectively referred to as "electric fish".
A variety of electric fish discharge ability is different. The most powerful are the electric ray, electric catfish and electric eel. Medium-sized electric skate can produce about 70 volts of voltage, while the African electric skate can produce up to 220 volts of voltage; African electric catfish can produce 350 volts of voltage; electric eel can produce 500 volts of voltage, there is a kind of South American electric eel can produce as much as 880 volts of voltage, called the electric shock champion, it is said to be able to kill as big as the horse as the animal.
The electric fish discharge mystery in the end where? After an anatomical study of the electric fish, finally found in the body of the electric fish has a strange power generation organs. These generators are made up of many translucent disk-shaped cells called electric plates or electric discs. Due to the different species of electric fish, the shape, position and number of plates of the generator are not the same. The electric apparatus of the electric eel is prismatic and is located in the muscles on both sides of the tail spine; the electric apparatus of the electric ray is shaped like a flattened kidney and is arranged on both sides of the midline of the body,*** there are 2,000,000 electric plates; the electric apparatus of the electric catfish originates from a certain kind of gland, and is located between the skin and the muscles, and there are about 5,000,000 electric plates. A single plate produces a very weak voltage, but because there are many plates, the voltage produced is very large.
This extraordinary ability of the electric fish has aroused great interest.In the early 19th century, the Italian physicist, Volt, modeled the electric fish's power-generating organs and designed the world's earliest voltaic battery. Because this battery is based on the electric fish's natural power generator design, so it is called "artificial electric organ". The study of the electric fish, but also give people such a revelation: if we can successfully imitate the electric fish power generation organ, then, ships and submarines and other power problems can be well solved.
The Jellyfish's Compassionate Ear
"The swallow flies low and it will rain, and the cicadas sing in the rain and the sky clears up." The behavior of organisms is related to changes in the weather. Coastal fishermen know that fish and jellyfish living along the coast swim out to sea in batches, signaling an impending storm.
The jellyfish, also known as the jellyfish, is an ancient coelacanth that floated in the ocean as early as 500 million years ago. This lowly animal has an instinct for predicting storms, and whenever a storm comes, it swims out to sea to take refuge.
Originally, in the blue ocean, the infrasound generated by the air and wave friction (frequency of 8-13 times per second) is always the prelude to a storm. This infrasound can not be heard by the human ear, but the tiny jellyfish is very sensitive. Bionicist found that the jellyfish's ear **** vibration cavity with a thin handle, the handle has a small ball, the ball has a small hear stone, when the storm before the infrasound impact of the jellyfish's ear in the hear stone, hear the stone will stimulate the ball on the wall of the nerve receptors, the jellyfish will hear the rumbling of the storm is coming.
The bionicists designed the Jellyfish Ear Storm Prediction Instrument after the structure and function of the jellyfish's ear, which is a fairly accurate simulation of the jellyfish's organ that feels infrasound. This instrument is installed in the ship's foredeck, when receiving the infrasound of the storm, the horn can be made to rotate 360 ° to stop rotating on its own, which points to the direction of the storm is the direction of the advancement of the direction of the storm; indicator on the readings to inform the intensity of the storm. This predictor can be 15 hours in advance of the storm to make forecasts, the safety of navigation and fisheries are of great significance.