BIONIC HAND
Bionics is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. It is also known as Bionical creativity engineering.
The transfer of technology between lifeforms and manufactures is, according to proponents of bionic technology, desirable because evolutionary pressure typically forces living organisms, including fauna and flora, to become highly optimized and efficient. A classical example is the development of dirt- and water-repellent paint (coating) from the observation that the surface of the lotus flower plant is practically un-sticky for anything .
In the field of computer science, the study of bionics has produced artificial neurons, artificial neural networks, and swarm intelligence. Evolutionary computation was also motivated by bionics ideas but it took the idea further by simulating evolution in silico and producing well-optimized solutions that had never appeared in nature.
BIOMECHANICS - HOW IT WORKS
In the TV series "The Six Million Dollar Man," scientists restore a crippled test pilot, who lost legs, one arm and an eye. They have the technology, so they rebuild Steve Austin and give him superhuman qualities. While this is total science fiction, modern robotics is inching ever closer to this vision in a field known as biomechatronics.
Biomechatronics is the merging of man with machine -- like the cyborg of science fiction. It is an interdisciplinary field encompassing biology, neurosciences, mechanics, electronics and robotics. Biomechatronic scientists attempt to make devices that interact with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems with the goals of assisting or enhancing human motor control that can be lost or impaired by trauma, disease or birth defects.
Consider what happens when you lift your foot to walk:
1.The motor center of your brain sends impulses to the muscles in your foot and leg. The appropriate muscles contract in the appropriate sequence to move and lift your foot.
2.Nerve cells in your foot sense the ground and feedback information to your brain to adjust the force, or the number of muscle groups required to walk across the surface. You don't apply the same force to walk on a wooden floor as you do to walk through snow or mud, for example.
3.Nerve cells in your leg muscle spindles sense the position of the floor and feedback information to the brain. You do not have to look at the floor to know where it is.
4.Once you raise your foot to take a step, your brain sends appropriate signals to the leg and foot muscles to set it down
This system has sensors (nerve cells, muscle spindles), actuators (muscles) and a controller (brain/spinal cord). In this article, we will find out how biomechatronic devices work using these components, explore the current progress of biomechatronics research and learn about the benefits of such devices.
Bionics is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. It is also known as Bionical creativity engineering.
The transfer of technology between lifeforms and manufactures is, according to proponents of bionic technology, desirable because evolutionary pressure typically forces living organisms, including fauna and flora, to become highly optimized and efficient. A classical example is the development of dirt- and water-repellent paint (coating) from the observation that the surface of the lotus flower plant is practically un-sticky for anything .
In the field of computer science, the study of bionics has produced artificial neurons, artificial neural networks, and swarm intelligence. Evolutionary computation was also motivated by bionics ideas but it took the idea further by simulating evolution in silico and producing well-optimized solutions that had never appeared in nature.
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| Bionic hand |
BIOMECHANICS - HOW IT WORKS
In the TV series "The Six Million Dollar Man," scientists restore a crippled test pilot, who lost legs, one arm and an eye. They have the technology, so they rebuild Steve Austin and give him superhuman qualities. While this is total science fiction, modern robotics is inching ever closer to this vision in a field known as biomechatronics.
Biomechatronics is the merging of man with machine -- like the cyborg of science fiction. It is an interdisciplinary field encompassing biology, neurosciences, mechanics, electronics and robotics. Biomechatronic scientists attempt to make devices that interact with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems with the goals of assisting or enhancing human motor control that can be lost or impaired by trauma, disease or birth defects.
Consider what happens when you lift your foot to walk:
1.The motor center of your brain sends impulses to the muscles in your foot and leg. The appropriate muscles contract in the appropriate sequence to move and lift your foot.
2.Nerve cells in your foot sense the ground and feedback information to your brain to adjust the force, or the number of muscle groups required to walk across the surface. You don't apply the same force to walk on a wooden floor as you do to walk through snow or mud, for example.
3.Nerve cells in your leg muscle spindles sense the position of the floor and feedback information to the brain. You do not have to look at the floor to know where it is.
4.Once you raise your foot to take a step, your brain sends appropriate signals to the leg and foot muscles to set it down
This system has sensors (nerve cells, muscle spindles), actuators (muscles) and a controller (brain/spinal cord). In this article, we will find out how biomechatronic devices work using these components, explore the current progress of biomechatronics research and learn about the benefits of such devices.
Biomechatronic Components
Any biomechatronic system must have the same types of components.:
Biosensors
Biosensors detect the user's "intentions." Depending upon the impairment and type of device, this information can come from the user's nervous and/or muscle system. The biosensor relates this information to a controller located either externally or inside the device itself, in the case of a prosthetic. Biosensors also feedback from the limb and actuator (such as the limb position and applied force) and relate this information to the controller or the user's nervous/muscle system.
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| BIOSENSOR |
Biosensors may be wires that detect electrical activity such as galvanic detectors (which detect an electric current produced by chemical means) on the skin, needle electrodes implanted in muscle, and/or solid-state electrode arrays with nerves growing through them.
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| BIOSENSOR |
A biosensor is an analytical device, used for the detection of an analyte, that combines a biological component with a physicochemical detector.
- the sensitive biological element (e.g. tissue, microorganisms, organelles, cell receptors, enzymes, antibodies, nucleic acids, etc.), a biologically derived material or biomimetic component that interacts (binds or recognizes) the analyte under study. The biologically sensitive elements can also be created by biological engineering.
- the transducer or the detector element (works in a physicochemical way; optical, piezoelectric, electrochemical, etc.) that transforms the signal resulting from the interaction of the analyte with the biological element into another signal (i.e., transduces) that can be more easily measured and quantified.
A biosensor typically consists of a bio-recognition component, biotransducer component, and electronic system which include a signal amplifier, processor, and display. Transducers and electronics can be combined, e.g., in CMOS-based microsensor systems. The recognition component, often called a bioreceptor, uses biomolecules from organisms or receptors modeled after biological systems to interact with the analyte of interest. This interaction is measured by the biotranducer which outputs a measurable signal proportional to the presence of the target analyte in the sample. The general aim of the design of a biosensor is to enable quick, convenient testing at the point of concern or care where the sample was procured.
Mechanical Sensors
Mechanical sensors measure information about the device (such as limb position, applied force and load) and relate to the biosensor and/or the controller. These are mechanical devices such as force meters and accelerometers.
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| ACCELEROMETER SENSOR |
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| IMU SENSOR |
Controller
The controller is interfaces the user's nerve or muscle system and the device. It relays and/or interprets intention commands from the user to the actuators of the device . It also relays and/or interprets feedback information from the mechanical and biosensors to the user. The controller also monitors and controls the movements of the biomechatronic device.
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| LILYPAD CONTROLLER |
Actuator
The actuator is an artificial muscle that produces force or movement. The actuator can be a motor that aids or replaces the user's native muscle depending upon whether the device is orthotic or prosthetic.
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WHATS NEEDED
Analyze Human Motions Human motions are complex, whether it be reaching for a glass or walking over rough terrain. We must understand how humans move so that we can design biomechatronic devices that effectively mimic and aid human movement.
Interfacing Electronic Devices with Humans An important aspect that separates biomechatronics devices from conventional orthotic and prosthetic devices is the ability to connect with the nerves and muscle systems of the user so he can send and receive information from the device.
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| BIOMECHANICS DESIGNS |
CONCLUSION
Thus the basic working of biomechatronic system has been seen above. The advancement in Bionic systems and building a Bionic-hand will be in next posts !
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