Biodiversity provides a massive library of ideas for bio-inspired design, but the sheer number of species to consider can be daunting. Current approaches for sifting through biodiversity to identify relevant biological models include searching for champion adapters that are particularly adept at solving a specific design challenge. While the champion adapter approach has benefits, it tends to focus on a narrow set of popular models while neglecting the majority of species. An alternative approach to bio-inspired design is the comparative method, which leverages biodiversity by drawing inspiration across a broad range of species. This approach uses methods in phylogenetics to map traits across evolutionary trees and compare trait variation to infer structure–function relationships. Although comparative methods have not been widely used in bio-inspired design, they have led to breakthroughs in studies on gecko-inspired adhesives and multifunctionality of butterfly wing scales. Here we outline how comparative methods can be used to complement existing approaches to bio-inspired design, and we provide an example focused on bio-inspired lattices, including honeycomb, and glass sponges. We demonstrate how comparative methods can lead to breakthroughs in bio-inspired applications as well as answer major questions in biology, which can strengthen collaborations with biologists and produce deeper insights into biological function.
X-ray computed tomography (XCT) was used for three-dimensional (3D) visualization of the internal microstructure and quantification of the porosity and second-phase particles in Al-4.5Cu-5TiB 2 composites prepared by an in situ liquid metallurgy casting route. The as-cast composites were subjected to hot rolling and mushy-state rolling for deagglomeration and to achieve a uniform distribution of CuAl 2 -TiB 2 particle clusters. Qualitative results obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and quantitative results obtained by XCT both showed that mushy-state rolling as well as hot rolling resulted in fragmentation and a homogeneous distribution of the CuAl 2 -TiB 2 particle clusters, with the mushy-state-rolled composite exhibiting the highest number of smaller-size particles. The porosity was increased in both rolling conditions through debonding of particles due to the compressive force during solid-state deformation along with the quick solidification of the solute-rich liquid during mushy-state rolling. These results show that application of secondary processes such as hot-rolling and mushy-state rolling can help to achieve a relatively more uniform particle distribution in Al-4.5Cu-5TiB 2 in situ composites.Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Architected materials such as lattices are capable of demonstrating extraordinary mechanical performance. Lattices are often used for their stretch-dominated behavior, which gives them a high degree of stiffness at low-volume fractions. At the other end of the stiffness spectrum, bending-dominated lattices tend to be more compliant and are of interest for their energy absorption performance. Here, we report a class of ultra-compliant interwoven lattices that demonstrate up to an order of magnitude improvement in compliance over their traditional counterparts at similar volume fractions. This is achieved by selectively decoupling nodes and interweaving struts in bending-dominated lattices, inspired by observations of this structural principle in the lattice-like arrangement of the Venus flower basket sea sponge. By decoupling nodes in this manner, we demonstrate a simple and near-universal design strategy for modulating stiffness in lattice structures and achieve among the most compliant lattices reported in the literature.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.