Deshmukh nature inspired innovations

Friday, January 23, 2015 1
Nature Inspired
Innovations
Dr S G Deshmukh
ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management Gwalior
Inauguration session of INSPIRE Internship Programme
@AMITY University, MP, Gwalior, 19 Jan 2015

Acknowledgements.. &
Disclaimer
 This presentation is motivated and draws heavily
from the inspiring work of by Janine Benyus, a
champion for Bio-mimicry
 Examples and illustrations are taken from various
sources/web sites and information in public domain.
 Wherever possible , the possible web site is given.
 Some Photos/Images are taken from google
sources .
 You may like to have net connectivity to watch
Youtube links given in the presentation.Friday, January 23, 2015 2

Motivation 1
Where do I work..Green campus
..

Background
 India mainstreams S&T sector into the developmental
strategy
 S&T sector needs to respond to the call of people, about
400 million people have now good purchasing power
 2010-2020 Decade of Innovations as declared by
Government of India : We are already in 2015: Mid of
the decade of innovations !!
 Designing and developing a National Innovation
Ecosystem accorded highest priority by Government
of India : Inspire programme is motivated by this !!Friday, January 23, 2015 4

Nature as a teacher…
 Many things to be observed and appreciated.
 Symmetry in nature
 Co-habitat for many species
 Adaptability !
 Science’ can be defined as “mankind’s
attempt to understand Nature”.
 “We still do not know one thousandth of one
percent of what Nature has revealed to us.”
Einstein
Friday, January 23, 2015 5

Nature as a teacher.. 2..
 how to harness energy like a leaf,
 build ceramics like an abalone,
 self-medicate like a chimp,
 create color like a peacock,
 compute like a cell, and
 run a business like a hickory forest.
 Subjects taught by Nature :
 Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics
 Civil Engg, Electrical Engg, Computer Science, Textile
Engg etc

Motivation 2
Have you heard?
Dr Monkey

Doctor Monkey. From Kanpur
Source: Dainik Bhaskar, Dec 21, 2014
 Kanpur: In a heroic act, a
monkey saved the life of
another monkey who lost
consciousness after being
electrocuted. The incident
happened on the rail track at
Kanpur station.
 By biting and dipping the
unconscious monkey in the
water on the tracks, his fellow
monkey tried to resuscitate
him.
 Friday, January 23, 2015 8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5WiGFIUH2A

How to heal ourselves ….
? Humans may have a
long way to
go towards living
sustainably on this
planet, but 10-30
million species with
time-tested genius
have figured it out
and maybe we can
learn a few things
from them

Have you observed and
appreciated…
 Symmetry in nature (Example: flowers)
 Beauty of shells!
 Bending of rivers after flowing certain
distance
There is a pattern. Mathematical functions
can define these patterns !

What is Fibonacci series..?
 The sequence begins with one. Each
subsequent number is the sum of the two
preceding numbers.
 Fib(n) = Fib(n-1) + Fib(n-2)
 Thus the sequence begins as follows:
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144….

Fibonacci numbers in nature
 Look at any seed head, and notice what look
like spiral patterns curving out form the center
left and right.
Sunflower:
If you count these spirals
you will find a Fibonacci
number.
If you look at the spirals
to the left and then the
right you will notices
these are two
consecutive Fibonacci
numbers.

Fibonacci numbers in nature
 These can also be seen in pinecones,
pineapples, cauliflower, and much more!

More Fibonacci numbers in
nature
 Most of the time, the number of petals on a flower
is a Fibonacci number!
1 petal-calla lily
2 petals-euphorbia
3 petals-trillium
5 petals-
columbine
8 petals-
bloodroot
13 petals-black
eyed susan

Leaves and branching plants..
 Leaves are also found in groups
of Fibonacci numbers.
 Branching plants always branch
off into groups of Fibonacci
numbers.
A journal dedicated to Fibonacci
series: The Fibonacci Quarterly
 http://www.fq.math.ca/

Nature..
 Nature as model. Nature is abundant in innovations and full
of creativity. We can see Nature’s models and then imitates or
takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve
human problems.
 Solar cell inspired by a leaf
 Nature as measure. Nature as an ecological standard to
judge “rightness” of our innovations.
 Efficiency & Effectiveness ?
 Nature as mentor. A new way of viewing Nature as a
mentor who teaches us and we can learn many thing from
nature and he keeps teaching us without fail !
 http://sfgirl-thealiennextdoor.blogspot.in/2008/08/biomimicry-nature-as-model-
measure-and.html

Watch..
 You may watch this in your spare time ..
 Solarising Lives (Barefoot college) : A documentary
on Tilonia- a solar driven village !
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPlR0pYOXqU&index=1
1&list=LLrFukfCQAtSlzjoZbVHwqgg

Airplane
Imitated not the bird
(product)
but the air flow around the
wings (process)
Similarly for Ships !
**Source: Defne Apul , Department of Civil Engineering, University of
Toledo, “Ecological Design Principles and Biomimicry”
https://www.google.co.in/webhp?sourceid=chrome-
instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=ppt+on+ecological+design+principles

Nature as Teacher
 When faced with a problem, can we ask the
question “What organism ( a living entity !) needs
to solve the same problem to survive….
 …What Would Nature Do?” Nature’s simple
design?
 Inspiration - look to nature to transform society
 Water,energy,,materials,food
 Invention - original processing starting with a
natural process that solves a similar problem
 Information - life adds info in the form of
shape/structure
N
N

Current scenario..
 Depleted natural resources
 Habitat loss
 Climate change
 Endangered/extinct species
 Persistent bio-accumulative toxins, plastics !
 Dependence on petroleum
 Problems! Problems ! Problems !

Nature’s simple design
 Life creates conditions conducive to life
 Energy only from sunlight
 No toxic pollution
 only a few of all of chemically possible structures
are synthesized (humans use the entire periodic
table!)
 No waste
 No problem!

Nature’s Design Principles**
P1: Runs on sunlight
P2: Uses only the energy it needs
P3: Recycles everything, no waste
P4: Rewards co-operation
P5: Banks on diversity
P6: Curbs excesses within
P7: Taps the power of limits
 **Source: Defne Apul , Department of Civil Engineering, University
of Toledo, “Ecological Design Principles and Biomimicry”
 https://www.google.co.in/webhp?sourceid=chrome-
instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-
8#q=ppt+on+ecological+design+principles

Gecko Tape
Gecko Tape is a material covered with
nanoscopic hairs that mimic those found on the
feet of gecko lizards. These innumemerables of
tiny, flexible hairs exert van der Waals forces
that provide a powerful adhesive effect.
Applications include underwater and space
station uses.
http://uabiomimicry.org/gecko-tape/

Velcro….
 Velcro was invented in 1941
by Swiss engineer George
de Mestral. Mestral first got
the idea for this new material
from the burrs that were
often stuck to his dog’s hair.
When he placed the burrs
under a microscope he
noticed tiny hooks at the end
of each spine. These
miniature hooks easily
caught on to anything
shaped like a loop like
animal fur, clothing, or hair.
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/7-
amazing-examples-of-biomimicry/burr-velcro

Kingfishers
Transportation: How does Nature travel quickly
and smoothly?
The Shinkansen Bullet Train in Japan which began
commercial operation in Oct 1964, travels between
Tokyo and Shin-Osaka at a maximum speed of
270km/h in as short as two hours and 25 minutes.
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/about/outline.html

Termites…
 Termites in Zimbabwe build gigantic mounds
inside of which they farm a fungus that is their
primary food source. The fungus must be kept
at exactly 87 degrees F, while the temperatures
outside range from 35 degrees F at night to 104
degrees F during the day. The termites achieve
this remarkable feat by constantly opening and
closing a series of heating and cooling vents
throughout the mound over the day. With a
system of carefully adjusted convection
currents, air is sucked in at the lower part of the
mound, down into enclosures with muddy walls,
and up through a channel to the peak of the
termite mound. The industrious termites
constantly dig new vents and plug up old ones
in order to regulate the temperature.

http://inhabitat.com/building-modelled-on-termites-eastgate-centre-in-
zimbabwe/

 Termites teach us how to
create sustainable buildings:
 Passive Climate Control in
the Eastport Building, Harare
Zimbabwe
 http://inhabitat.com/building-
modelled-on-termites-eastgate-
centre-in-zimbabwe/

Houses built by birds..
 Simple yet effective design
 Sustainable
 Locally available material
 Naturally air-conditioned

Shark skin swim suit
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2008/august/olympic-swimsuit-
mimics-shark-skin18219.html
V-shaped ridges on shark skin
Shark skin Michael Phelps

How to clean without cleaners
The Lotus Effect
http://biomimicry.net/about/biomimicry/case-examples/natural-cleaning/

Lotus Effect
The Lotus Effect: The surface of lotus leaves are bumpy,
and this causes water to bead as well as to pick up
surface contaminates in the process. The water rolls off,
taking the contaminates with it. Researchers have
developed ways to chemically treat the surface of plastics
and metal to evoke the same effect.
Applications are endless, and not just making windshield
wipers and car wax jobs obsolete.

Butterfly
Scientific classification
 Kingdom:Animalia
 Phylum:Arthropoda
 Class:Insecta
 Order:Lepidoptera
 Family:PeplionoidaeSubfamily:Danainae
 Genus:Euploea
 Species: Tree butterfly
 Skipper : Super Family hespenoidae
 Moth Butterfly : Super Family hespenoidae

Importance of Butterfly
 Beautiful & Colorful insects size ranging from tiny
jewels ( to the gorgeous Birdwings (Wingspan upto
20 cm)
 Joy to watch, known and loved insect, fascinated
mankind since ages
 Butterfly as an indicator of environment and
biodiversity
 We have a butterfly conservatory on the
campus !

Life Cycle of Butterfly
Egg Caterpillar Pupa Adult

Learning from Butterfly
 Colors and patterns: image processing &
cryptography ?
 Butterfly effect: Weather dynamics
 a butterfly flapping its wings in Tokyo effects the weather
patterns in Sydney.
 We draw on chaos theory because it is the study of
nonlinear dynamics. That is, where seemingly
random events are actually related and a pattern
emerges
 Butterfly Research Centre at Bhimtal :
 https://www.facebook.com/ButterflyResearchCentreBhim

Patterns on wings..
 The colourful patterns on a butterfly's wings are not made
by any chemicals at all! Butterfly wings are covered by
millions of tiny, overlapping scales. These scales reflect
light in different ways, so that different scales appear
coloured differently. If you see it from different angles, the
colours will look different! This is called iridescence.
 You can also see this in fish scales, peacock tails, beetles,
and even crow feathers. Every butterfly has its own unique
pattern, based on the arrangement of its scales (just like
every human has their own fingerprint).

How does this help?
 Nanotechnologists have found a way to make the butterfly
pattern in the lab. They make tiny scales from aluminium
oxide and titanium oxide. They then paste these scales onto
paper, so it looks just like a butterfly wing. You can 'print'
these scales in a way that includes a secret code.
 What would the secret code be? Just a simple change of
colour! Seen from above, the banknote will have a specific
colour. But when you hold it at a particular angle, you can
see a different colour effect. That tells you the note is real. If
someone tries to fake the note, it may look like a real note
from above. But turn it to the correct angle, and it will not
change colour. You've caught the fake note!
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/100531_butterfly

Butterflies Available
in the Campus conservatory
 Please See
Plain Tiger Common Line Blue Common Sailor
Blue Pansy Small Branded Swift Common Evening
African Migrant Lemon Pansy Crimson Rose

Biomimicry.. Science of Nature
or
Nature of Science ?
Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis,
meaning to imitate) is a new science that studies
nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs
and processes to solve human problems.
Studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell is an
example of this “innovation inspired by nature.”

Origin of Biomimicry
Fascinated by the phenomenon of
flight, Leonardo da Vinci produced
detailed studies of the flight of birds,
and plans for several flying machines,
including a helicopter and a light hang
glider which could have flown.
On January 3, 1496 he unsuccessfully
tested a flying machine he had
constructed.
Leonardo’s Flying Machine

http://www.amazon.in/Biomimicry-Innovation-Inspired-Janine-
Benyus/dp/0060533226
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired
by Nature
book by Janine Benyus

Natural Inspired Algorithms for
Computing**
 Investigates models and computational techniques
inspired by nature
 Attempts to understand the world around us in terms
of information processing
 **Source: Next few slides from this source
 Lila Kari, Presentation “The Many Facets of Natural Computing”, University of Western
Ontario, Canada
 https://www.google.co.in/search?q=biomimicry+innovation+inspired+by+nature&oq=biomimicry
&aqs=chrome.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3.4106j0j9&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-
8#q=ppt+on+nature+inspired+computing

Natural Computing
 Nature as Inspiration
 Nature as Computation
 Swarm Intelligence – group behaviour

Genetic Algorithms
 Individuals = fixed-length bit strings
 Mutation = cut-and-paste of a prefix of a
parent with a suffix of another
 Fitness function is problem-dependent
 If initial population encodes possible solutions
to a given problem, then the system evolves
to produce a near-optimal solution to the
problem
 Applications: real-valued parameter
optimization

Particle Swarm Optimization
 Inspired by flocking behaviour of birds
 Start with a swarm of particles (each
representing a potential solution)
 Particles move through a multidimensional
space and positions are updated based on
* previous own velocity
* tendency towards personal best
* tendency toward neighbourhood best

Swarming – The Definition
 aggregation of similar animals, generally cruising in
the same direction
 Termites swarm to build colonies (see the slide on
the termites as source for inspiration for buildings!)
 Birds swarm to find food or Bees swarm to
reproduce
 Motivation for swarming
 To forage better, To migrate and To act as a
defense against predators
 Remember : Social Insects have survived for
millions of years.

Swarming - Characteristics
 Simple rules for each individual
 No central control :Decentralized and hence
robust
 Emergent: Performs complex functions
 Computer Systems are getting complicated
 Hard to have a master control
 Swarm intelligence systems are:
 Robust
 Relatively simple

Particle Swarm Optimization:
Biomimicry
 Particle swarm optimization imitates human or
insects social behavior.
 Individuals interact with one another while
learning from their own experience, and
gradually move towards the goal.
 It is easily implemented and has proven both
very effective and quick when applied to a
diverse set of optimization problems.

Algorithm of PSO
 Each particle (or agent) evaluates the
function to maximize at each point it visits in
spaces.
 Each agent remembers the best value of the
function found so far by it (pbest) and its co-
ordinates.
 Secondly, each agent know the globally best
position that one member of the flock had
found, and its value (gbest).

Applications
 Movie effects
 Lord of the Rings
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jF5sAqBp4w
 Watch : Swarm intelligence in Honeys
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEQoRYqm1w8
 Swarm Robotics
 Swarm bots
 Swarm of One thousand robots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1t4M2XnIhI

Summary
 We are facing increasing pressures:
 Energy, Water, Materials, Food
 Nature has already “figured out” how to avoid
these problems
 Look to nature as a teacher/role model
 Use nature’s design principles to inspire and
innovate
 Keep your eyes, ears and heart open !!
 Observe, Observe, Observe and LEARN to
adapt

Assignment..
 Find information on Bio-toilets designed by
DRDE Gwalior..
 Find out what are the nano-particles in
nature.
 Find out how nature produces energy
 Find out how does nature conserve energy
 Find how nature inspired algorithms are used
in real life applications

Biodiversity referred to in this
presentation
 Monkey
 Termite
 Fish
 Butterfly
 Ant
 Honeybee
 Bird : Kingfisher
 Peacock
 Lizard
 Lotus, Lily , Marigold
 Sunflower, Cauliflower,

Thank your guru (teacher) for
his/her patience
Thank your Jagad Guru
(Nature) for the inspiration

References & Acknowledgements .. The web
sources are gratefully acknowledged
 Techtalks@kpit Cummins , Vol 4, Issue 4, Oct-Dec 2011
 http://www.bloomberg.com/slideshow/2013-08-18/14-smart-inventions-inspired-by-nature-
biomimicry.html#slide1
 http://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action?language=en
 http://biomimicry.org/
 http://biomimicry.net/
 Source of slides :
 https://www.google.co.in/search?q=biomimicry+innovation+inspired+by+nature&oq=biomimicry&aq
s=chrome.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3.4106j0j9&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-
8#q=ppt+on+nature+inspired+computing
 Presentation of Llila Kari, Univ of Western Ontario,
 https://www.google.co.in/search?q=biomimicry+innovation+inspired+by+nature&oq=biomimicry&aq
s=chrome.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3.4106j0j9&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-
8#q=ppt+on+Fibonacci
 https://www.google.co.in/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-
8#q=ppt%20on%20biomimicry
 http://www.bloomberg.com/slideshow/2013-08-18/14-smart-inventions-inspired-by-nature-
biomimicry.html
 http://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/primer-biomimicry-nature-inspired-innovations-buildings-
processes-sustainable-living
 http://www.powershow.com/view/135862-ZmExN/BIOMIMICRY_powerpoint_ppt_presentation

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