BIOLOCH

BIOLOCH BIO-mimetic structures for LOComotion in the Human bodyhttp://www.ics.forth.gr/bioloch: 

BIOLOCH BIO-mimetic structures for LOComotion in the Human body http://www.ics.forth.gr/bioloch Neuro-IT Workshop Leuven, December 3, 2002 Paolo Dario Project Coordinator

IST-2001-34181 - BIOLOCH BIO-mimetic structures for LOComotion in the Human body: 

Starting date: May 1, 2002 End date: April 30, 2005 Project Duration: 36 months Funding: Total costs: € 1.654.570 Community Funding: € 1.503.900 Partners: Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA) - Pisa (I) – Co-ordinator University of Bath, Department of Mechanical Engineering (UBAH Mech Eng) – United Kingdom Centro "E. Piaggio", Faculty of Engineering, University of Pisa (UniPi) - Italy FORTH - Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) - Greece University of Tuebingen, Section for minimally invasive surgery (UoT) - Germany Project Coordinator: Prof. Paolo Dario CRIM Lab - Scuola Superiore S. Anna Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 33 56127 PISA (ITALY) Tel. +39-050-883400 / +39-050-883401 Fax. +39-050-883402 e-mail: dario@mail-arts.sssup.it web site: http://www-crim.sssup.it List of Principal Investigators of BIOLOCH   Project Co-ordinator: Prof. Paolo Dario Project Manager: Dr. Arianna Menciassi Technical Team Co-ordinators SSSA: Prof. Paolo Dario UBAH Mech Eng : Prof. Julian Vincent UniPi: Prof. Danilo De Rossi FORTH : Dr. Dimitris Tsakiris UoT : Prof. Marc Schurr IST-2001-34181 - BIOLOCH BIO-mimetic structures for LOComotion in the Human body

WHAT is the OBJECTIVE of the project: 

WHAT is the OBJECTIVE of the project Objective To understand motion and perception systems of lower animal forms To design and fabricate mini- and micro-machines inspired by such biological systems. Long term goal A new generation of autonomous smart machines with: life-like interaction with the environment performance comparable to the animals by which they are inspired. Envisaged application(s) The "inspection" problem in medicine ( microendoscopy); and… “Rescue” micro-robotics; Underground (space?) exploration

HOW we plan to ADDRESS the objectives: 

HOW we plan to ADDRESS the objectives

Slide5: 

Taxonomy of locomotion mechanisms and their classification according to engineering principles (1/3) Adhesion by: suction, friction, biological glue, van der Waals force

Slide6: 

Taxonomy of locomotion mechanisms and their classification according to engineering principles (2/3) Locomotion by: paddle-worm, pedal, earthworm/peristaltic, serpentine, rectilinear-serpentine

Slide7: 

Taxonomy of locomotion mechanisms and their classification according to engineering principles (3/3)

Slide8: 

The octopus has the most complicated brain of all the invertebrates. The octopus brain is estimated to have 300,000,000 neurons. These neurons are arranged in lobes and tracts that are more specialized than simple ganglia. A bundle of giant nerve fibers tied to the mantle give them very rapid reflexes. An octopus moves its arms simply by sending a "move" command from its brain to its arms and telling them how far to move The arm does the rest, by controlling its own movement as it extends Even isolated from the arm, suckers appear to function normally for an hour or more because of reflex. Octopus: an example of biological perception-reaction mechanism

Slide9: 

The nervous system of the earthworm is "segmented" just like the rest of the body the "brain" is located above the pharynx and is connected to the first ventral ganglion the brain is important for movement: if the brain of the earthworm is removed, the earthworm will move continuously; if the first ventral ganglion is removed, the earthworm will stop eating and will not dig. Each segmented ganglion gets sensory information from only a local region of its body and controls muscles only in this local region. Earthworms have touch, light, vibration and chemical receptors all along the entire body surface. Earthworm: an example of biological perception-reaction mechanism

Slide10: 

Medical specifications Parameters for walking inside the colon Forces Wall elasiticity Mesenteric hazards: Tears Ruptures Parameters for creeping inside the colon With tail Without tail Colonic hazards Perforation Mesenteric resistance Colonic wall resistance Force / step ratio Device advancement forces Description of force parameters of the colonic tract in interaction with endoscopic devices and techniques

Slide11: 

Design and fabrication of bio-inspired adhesion mechanisms (a) normal configuration; (b) flow in; (c) flow out Friction is enhanced when the compliant tips are pushed outward

Slide12: 

Model and simulation of the polychaete locomotion mechanism The polychaete (paddle-worm) can move in water or mud environments thanks to a sinusoidal motion joined with a passive motion of lateral paddles. The motion waves are perpendicular to the locomotion direction. The friction between the surface and the paddles is a parameter which can be adjusted.

Slide13: 

Model and simulation of the inchworm/peristaltic locomotion mechanism

Slide14: 

Trajectory of a generic point on the surface of the Earthworm expressed as % of the length Small radial displacements (<0.5%) corresponds to long axial displacements (>5%), which is optimal for locomotion Simulation parameters: Initial length: 1 Initial radius: 0.02 (=1/50) Number of waves: 1 Wave length: l/20 Two points (Ao in x and Bo in x + dx at time t=0) move from A1 and B1 (time t) to A2 and B2 (time t+dt). Where Δ is the axial displacement function Since the volume of the segment between Aj and Bj (j=0, 1, 2) must be constant, we can write: Integrating in time and with some simplifications, we find: where f(x) is an arbitrary function. The displacement function Δ(x, t) is identically zero when t = 0, because the displacements are evaluated from the reference configuration. Hence: We finally find:

Slide15: 

Enabling technologies: design paradigm

Slide16: 

Active membrane Enabling technologies: an outline on smart actuators

Slide17: 

Enabling technologies: sensing and control

Slide18: 

Preliminary technological implementations Friction-based minirobot: two counter motors, an eccentric mass, asymmetrical skates Artificial paddle-worm Inchworm locomotion with “biological” glue IPMC actuator for hook protruding

Slide19: 

Shape Deposition Manufacturing (Stanford University) Promising technique to fabricate flexible bio-mimetic structures embedding sensors and actuators Enabling technologies

WHAT are the expected ACHIEVEMENTS: 

WHAT are the expected ACHIEVEMENTS

WHAT would be the IMPACT of the project: 

WHAT would be the IMPACT of the project The main expected results of BIOLOCH are new design paradigms and engineering models for an entirely new generation of biomimetic mini- and micro-machines able to navigate in tortuous and “soft” environments in a life-like manner. To exploit a sophisticated biomimetic hardware structure (incorporating complex mechanisms, sensors, actuators and embedded signal processing) to explore advanced biomimetic control strategies.

Proposed VISIONARY ACTIONS for a future FET program in the 6FP: 

Proposed VISIONARY ACTIONS for a future FET program in the 6FP Collaborative ensemble of micro-burrowers (proposal for visionary actions starting from the BIOLOCH Project?) Autonomous micro-burrowers, able to operate in a collaborative manner in the pursuit of a common goal underground. Such a group of micro-burrowers could be valuable in the context of search and rescue (S&R) operations for people trapped in buildings, mines, etc., which may have collapsed as a result of earthquakes, attacks, etc. These sensor-carrying robots could be sent to explore this underground, unstructured environment, possibly having to dig through rubble, in order to gain access to victims, structures or equipment. The solutions that biological organisms (e.g. ants, bees) have developed for communication, coordination, cooperative localization and planning, could provide valuable insights in such an endeavor.