Bio-inspired geotechnical engineering: Principles, current work, opportunities and challenges

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Bio-inspired geotechnical engineering: principles, current work, opportunities and challenges

A broad diversity of biological organisms and systems interact with soil in ways that facilitate their growth and survival. These interactions are made possible by strategies that enable organisms to accomplish functions that can be analogous to those required in geotechnical engineering systems. Examples include anchorage in soft and weak ground, penetration into hard and stiff subsurface materials and movement in loose sand. Since the biological strategies have been ‘vetted’ by the process of natural selection, and the functions they accomplish are governed by the same physical laws in both the natural and engineered environments, they represent a unique source of principles and design ideas for addressing geotechnical challenges. Prior to implementation as engineering solutions, however, the differences in spatial and temporal scales and material properties between the biological environment and engineered system must be addressed. Current bio-inspired geotechnics research is addressing topics such as soil excavation and penetration, soil–structure interface shearing, load transfer between foundation and anchorage elements and soils, and mass and thermal transport, having gained inspiration from organisms such as worms, clams, ants, termites, fish, snakes and plant roots. This work highlights the potential benefits to both geotechnical engineering through new or improved solutions and biology through understanding of mechanisms as a result of cross-disciplinary interactions and collaborations

Investigating a non-invasive method for determining muscle fiber composition

Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2018.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 39-40).This study aims to explore a new method for analysis of muscle fiber type, using data collected from weightlifts on a leg press. A dynamic muscle model is developed, which utilizes the Descherevskii kinetic theory in combination with a muscle "matrix" model to predict net muscle contraction forces and velocities as a function of fiber type. These relationships are integrated into a dynamic model for lifting a weight, allowing for the derivation of joint trajectories in time, from the molecular properties of muscle. The model-predicted velocity trajectories for the lift are compared with curves obtained experimentally from weightlifting trials. Longer lifts with slower peak velocities indicate higher ratios of slow-twitch fibers, and shorter lifts with greater peak velocities indicate higher ratios of fast-twitch fibers. This idea is supported by both the model results and in experimental trends. With further refinement of experimental protocols, the leg press test has the potential to be a powerful training tool for athletes-both to compare their muscle makeup with other athletes, and to track their own progress over the course of their training.by Laura Treers.S.B

Efficient reciprocating burrowing with anisotropic origami feet

Origami folding is an ancient art which holds promise for creating compliant and adaptable mechanisms, but has yet to be extensively studied for granular environments. At the same time, biological systems exploit anisotropic body forces for locomotion, such as the frictional anisotropy of a snake's skin. In this work, we explore how foldable origami feet can be used to passively induce anisotropic force response in granular media, through varying their resistive plane. We present a reciprocating burrower which transfers pure symmetric linear motion into directed burrowing motion using a pair of deployable origami feet on either end. We also present an application of the reduced order model granular Resistive Force Theory to inform the design of deformable structures, and compare results with those from experiments and Discrete Element Method simulations. Through a single actuator, and without the use of advanced controllers or sensors, these origami feet enable burrowing locomotion. In this paper, we achieve burrowing translation ratios-net forward motion to overall linear actuation-over 46% by changing foot design without altering overall foot size. Specifically, anisotropic folding foot parameters should be tuned for optimal performance given a linear actuator's stroke length

Mole crab-inspired vertical self-burrowing.

We present EMBUR-EMerita BUrrowing Robot-the first legged robot inspired by the Pacific mole crab, Emerita analoga, capable of burrowing vertically downward. We choose Emerita analoga as a model organism for its rapid downward burrowing behaviors, as it is four times as fast as the most rapid bivalve mollusk. Vertical burrowing in granular media is a challenging endeavor due to the tendency for the media to create upwards resistive forces on an intruder, even during purely horizontal motions. Our robot is capable of vertically burrowing its body in granular substrate primarily through excavation using two leg pairs, which are functionally analogous to groupings of leg pairs of the mole crab. We implement a novel leg mechanism with a sweeping trajectory, using compliant fabric to enable an anisotropic force response. The maximum resistive force during the power stroke is 6.4 times that of the return stroke. We compare robot body pitch and spatial trajectories with results from biomechanical studies of the mole crabs. We characterize the sensitivity of the robot to initial depth, body pitch and leg pose, and propose bounds on initial conditions which predict various burrowing failure modes. Parametric studies utilizing Granular Resistive Force Theory inform our understanding of robot behavior in response to leg phasing and orientation. Not only does this robotic platform represent the first robophysical model of vertical mole crab-inspired burrowing, it is also one of the first legged, primarily excavative small-scale burrowing agents