Conclusion

Throughout these thirteen weeks, the team has adopted two Chocolate Chip Starfishes to observe and study. The selection of this aquatic creature was due to its potential inspiration of a biomimicry engineering design. Starfishes are unique creatures as they have Benthic locomotion to adapt to the geography. The Benthic locomotion utilizes tube feets of the starfish, which acts like a vacuum cup created through contraction of their muscles. Thereafter, the team considered the anatomy of the starfish, unique feeding mechanism, reproduction and regeneration of a starfish. Throughout the adoption, the team only managed to witness the lomotion and unique feeding mechanism of the starfish. However, the reproduction of the starfish amazes us it reproduces both sexually and asexually. The sexually reproduction involves few stages which are spawning, egg stage, larval stage and juvenile stage. The asexual reproduction involves a starfish's arm can be detached from the central disk, and a whole new starfish can be formed. Similarly, starfish has the ability of regeneration and it occurs when the starfish loses its limb. The few reasons why a starfish would lose its limb is due to self dense or an injury.

However, from this adoption, the feature that intrigues us the most is the ability of a starfish to attach itself onto the glass on the aquarium surfaces. The tube feet used in the Benthic locomotion has allowed the team to nurture the idea of creating a "Starfish" bodysuit. This idea is catered to building cleaners for safety purposes as the suit will adapt a similar concept as the adhesive suction cups on the starfish's tube feet. The temporary adhesive material left behind by the starfish is called Seastar Footprint Protein 1 (SFP1) which sticks strongly on glass or mica surfaces. 

Nevertheless, a recommendation to improve the design of the bodysuit is to study the integration of SFP1 onto the bodysuits. The properties of the SFP1 which theoretically leads to the development of a protein-based product may have chemical properties that may react with the material of the bodysuit. Therefore, the team have to further investigate the chemical properties of SFP1 and fully comprehend its nature in order to produce the "Starfish" bodysuit.

Stephanie's Reflection

The most interesting proposed used of biomimicry was the study of the tube feet of the starfish. The ability to stick on glass surfaces has inspired the team to come up with a novel industry application. The unique features of the tube feet consists of tiny suction cups to allow movement and attachment on objects or walls. By understanding the unique motion of a starfish, the team was able to adopt the features of a starfishes' tube feet by creating a "starfish" bodysuit. The idea behind the creation of bodysuit is to solve a challenge faced by window cleaners. This bodysuit would contain SFP1 (Seastar Footprint Protein 1) which is left behind by the starfish while moving across the glass wall. This adhesion would be located at the critical surfaces while climbing (foot, knees, abdomen and between the elbow and wrist).

This design is viable to be patented due to the fact that there are existing bodysuits that utilizes the same concept. Nevertheless, the method of adhesive is different as it is adopted by a starfish. However, this design needs much improvement and to thoroughly think through the safety measures of the bodysuit to mitigate any risks.

Personally, the starfish was under my care after the semester break. The starfish required extra attention and care especially keeping the sanity of the aquarium clean. Besides that, I was in charge of the maintenance and creation of the blog. However, working as a team has definitely provided a better platform in nurturing novel ideas. The starfish had a different impact on all team members. With different perspective, the team was able to come up with a great idea. This journey together with them is a memorable and fruitful one! Thank you team!

Jason's Reflection

Engineering Biomimetics has definitely been an interesting module of learning whereby exposure is given in addressing the possibilities of acquiring inspirations from nature to develop sustainable and possibly commercial engineering design solutions that could meet the current challenges encountered in our daily lives. Engineering Biomimetics has given both classroom and out-of-classroom learning experiences of which includes a blog creation on the adoption of a plant or animal that could lead to fruitful inspiration of biomimicry in suggesting a novel industrial application.

Our adopted animal is the Chocolate Chip Starfish whereby the most interesting proposed biomimicry of the starfish would be the adhesive mechanism of the tube feet of the starfish to surfaces it comes in contact with whereby the starfish has the ability to adhere to the surfaces for a long period of time without faltering. The proposed novel industrial application based on this inspired biomimicry of the tube feet of the starfish is the creation of a bodysuit that targets for window-cleaning of high-rise buildings. The tube feet consist of a suction cup that provides the adhesive characteristic through the Seastar Footprint Protein 1 (SFP 1) which is responsible for adhesion to the surface and a meshwork deposited on this film for cohesion. The SFP 1 material is able to adhere strongly to glass or mica material, thus, the bodysuit would be coated with this material at strategic locations (i.e. the foot, knees, abdomen and between elbow and wrist). This novel bodysuit design is able to cater for high-rise buildings window cleaners whereby implementation of this bodysuit has a promising potential in reducing the risk and hassle of utilising harness and platforms and improves flexibility, safety, ease of use and parameters of reach.

In executing this animal adoption and blog creation, challenges encountered is inevitable, nevertheless, working in a team is able to resolve them and the segregated workloads among team members ensure all the tasks that needs to be done is on track. I was in-charged with care-taking of the starfish together with Eason (i.e. feeding, ensure a clean environment) before the mid-sem-break and was taken over by Stephanie after the mid-sem-break. On the blog creation, I was in-charged for the blog posts on anatomy, feeding mechanism, regeneration characteristics and reproduction of the starfish. This experience has been a fun, fruitful and eye-opening one for me and may ‘Starfish continues to light the way to Biomimicry!’.

Eason's Reflection

In this research project, we have studied and understand most of the anatomy and features of a chocolate chip starfish. Although there are many kinds of starfish in the ocean, almost all of them have the same unique ability which is their regeneration capability and their unique locomotion system. The most interesting topic discussed in this blog will be the novel industrial application section where a sticky concept suit is proposed which can be used by workers that work at high altitude or high rise building that could ensure their safety during. This is because of our main Moto agreed by the team were to be safety. Although there are much more improvement that is needed to be made, the idea has still proven to be quite an impressive and logical. The starfish was under the care of Jason and myself before the semester break. We contributed in keeping the environment of the aquarium suitable for the starfish. Besides that, Charles and myself in the beginning of the semester purchased the starfishes together and it was an amazing experience.

Needless to say, working in a team has allowed effective idea generation. Each of us also allowed wild ideas to be proposed so that we could build our idea on each other’s wild idea to form an incredible idea. But all in all, this project has brought our team a wonderful chance to study the life of an extraordinary marine life which is not an ordinary marine pet which can be found in normal household. The reason is simply because it requires only a specific environment for it to be able to sustain its life. By taking up this challenge to adopt such a challenging animal as our biomimicry research study subject, it allowed us to learn new things and work outside of our comfort zone.

Nicole's Reflection

I am very lucky to take part in the Biomimetic ‘project’ which is to adopt a life and study the life in order to create a product or a process through mimic the adopted life. Research and reading help me to have an overall understanding on the adopted life (starfish) to expand my knowledge as well as inspire me to create something new. As we have six people in our group, we came up with the idea starfish bodysuit which is the most interesting proposed used of biomimicry and it seems to have similarity with the Spiderman suit that we watched from TV. It feels amazing if we are wearing the Starfish bodysuit and stick outside the building and it may become a reality. I think this design is patentable as currently it still considers a novel product and is unique enough to be approved even all of us already saw it in TV but that is not happen in reality yet. Through our research and study, we are able to determine the compounds on starfish which gives the adhesive properties and contribute to the starfish bodysuit which make our effort more scientifically proven for it to be functional. Carmen and myself have contributed by suggesting the novel industrial application of a starfish. I thoroughly studied the application of the SFP1 to fully comprehend the feasibility of the bodysuit. Working as a team made this project easier as more hands make for lighter work and six heads are better than one. One of the reasons is because we got more people in the brain storming section which able to come up with a lot of silly ideas, without the teammates we won’t came up this idea which may be feasible in our real life. Besides, work in a team we become more productive, creative and motivated than individuals on their own which will only give us more benefits than we work it by individual.

Carmen's Reflection

The most interesting proposed used of biomimicry developed by starfish is the regeneration ability because it has high healing capacity where it can reduce the number of replacements of repair materials as well as reduce the life cycle cost. Besides regeneration, the locomotion which utilized tube-like legs that create vacuum by contracting their muscles is also fascinating. The tube-like legs have the ability of clinging to the wall or corals easily. The seastar footprint protein 1 (SFP1) found has an outstanding benefit as it illustrates the adhesion strength that make them attached to the glass. Body suit is inspired by the starfish mainly from its locomotion targeting for high rise building cleaner highlighting the safety purposes. The design is patentable as no one has done it before and it is also a unique design to improve the safety system of high rise building cleaner instead of only attaching a safety string on the body. This adhesive suction cups can be positioned at the foot, knees, abdomen as well as the joints. To be extra save, these products can be put on together with the existing safety string on the body of the cleaner. Nicole and myself has played a major role in contributing to the novel industry application. Both of us carefully studied the features of the starfish to come up with a bio-inspiration. Working as a team definitely made this project easier as all the 6 members can contribute different kinds of ideas improving the productivity of this project to the maximum. Whoever face any challenges, the team can discuss and come out with the best solution based on by analyzing the important factors as a team.

Charles' Reflection

From this biomimetic project, I had learnt a lot about starfish such as their characteristics, locomotion, and bio-inspiration ideas. I would like to thank my team members (Chiang Lin Chern, Stephanie Lai, Poh Jing Wen, Carmen Lee and Jason Gan) for taking good care of our starfish. It was difficult to own because it is needed a good environment system which is salty water, shrimp as food and required oxygen supply. If one of these conditions is missing, it will die in a short period. Hence, I appreciated the contribution of every member to this project. As leader of this team, I had a major role in coordinating and communicating to the team from different engineering disciplines. Besides that, Eason and I purchased the starfishes and set up the environment for the starfish to live in. Furthermore, I also want to express my greatest gratitude to my lecturer, Dr. Yong Leng Chuan for proposing us this project in our final year. It was been such a long time that I have a great time in the project and it brought a lot of fun to me. It is because this is the first time I own a starfish and it is interesting to observe how it sticks and moves on the container wall and its feeding process. Last but not least, I want to thank Taylor’s University for offering this Engineering and Biomimetic subject to me. This subject is very interesting as in raising pet project and industrial visit. I learnt a lot from the industrial visit and treasured this rare opportunity for learning other biomimetic products. I am sure the knowledge I obtain from this subject would be useful in my future career and it will become my advantage compare to others.

Detail design of Starfish Bodysuit

Dear readers, welcome to another update on our pet starfish!

The picture below shows the sketch drawing of starfish bodysuit. 

From the bodysuit, we can see that SPF1 material attached at the specific positions of the bodysuit. Due to the SFP1 material is temporary adhesive, therefore they can easily attach and detach the glass building for example, glove and shoes.

The glove can be easily detach when the building workers need to clean the glass. The SPF1 material added at the outsole of shoes which helps walking on the glass than only with the help of rope.

As we know, people have much greater strength in their legs than in their arms. Therefore, the lower part of bodysuit with SFP1 material will use to stick they legs on the glass so that they can work easily.

Enjoy!!

Novel Industry Application Part III

So how, and for what purpose are we mimicking the starfish tube feet?

The sticky tube feet of starfish actually can help us in improving the current bodysuit for windows cleaners. But how??

"STARFISH BODYSUIT"

There is a cocktail of proteins in the adhesive material. However, the scientists found that a protein called Seastar Footprint Protein 1 (SFP1) is abundant in the mix. SFP1 acts as a structural scaffold of the foot that is left behind the starfish but the adhesion is only temporary. The footprints are made up of a primary film covering the surface, which is mainly responsible for adhesion to the surface, and a meshwork deposited on this film for cohesion.

The tube feet of starfish act like a Post-it as their adhesion is only temporary and they can attach and detach repeatedly from a surface. 

SFP1

Scientists found that SFP1 is from a single mRNA, whereon the message for a protein from DNA is transcribed. Any they found SFP1 to be big, having four domains that let them multi-task. Each of these domains takes up a biochemical job inside and outside the adhesive cells in the tube feet. 

The scientists found SFP1 to stick strongly on glass or mica surfaces. The biochemically SFP1 does not undergoes any complicated changes, after production in the cell. These properties of SFP1 has lead us to develop an idea on protein-based product. 

The normal windows cleaners bodysuit can seal with a SFP1 subunits into the material at certain position for the safety purposes to do the adhesion to the glass. The bodysuit includes sealing at the foot, knees, abdomen and between elbow and wrist can be fabricated for the use of windows cleaners.

 

The bodysuit can be made from a number of fabrics including cotton and nylon just like the current bodysuit for windows cleaners. However, this "starfish bodysuit" is different from the current design due to there is additional layer add on top at the mentioned position of bodysuit where this layer will be made from a SFP1 related material covered with tiny ridges that are capable of adhering to smooth surfaces in order to remain the adhesive ability just like the starfish.

This starfish suit not only able to let the window cleaners adhesive on the glass temporary but it also can be cleaned between steps by touching a material of higher surface energy like sticky tape and it may be possible to achieve self-cleaning.

With this idea for the adhesion, the Spiderman suit can become a reality. However, the size-effects on the adhesion strength require further research. Moreover, man's muscles, for example, are different to those starfish. We would suffer great muscle fatigue if we stick to a glass for many hours. But now we are this step closer, it may not be long before we are seeing people climbing up the KLCC building with nothing but sticky bodysuit and shoes to support them.

Enjoy!

Novel Industry Application Part II

Welcome to another update on the biomimicry of starfish!!

STARFISH

One of many papers addressing the biology of tube feet is utilized here.

So, it turns out that the whole tube foot adhesion process is more complicated than the whole its a suction cup explanation that used to be offered in text books. The chemistry and physical processes of the tube foot adhesion is actually quite complex and has very useful applications in adhesives, glues and so forth.

Lets us understand on the mechanisms used by starfish to survive in their habitat and this soon may lead to something with many practical applications.

How does this whole tube foot adhesion/stick to the ground thing work??

1. Contact

This is where the process begin with the contact of tube foot with the glass.

There is a very special layer named "Fuzzy coat" (shown in red below) which is present on the surface of the disk epidermis making contact with the bottom.

*"Smuck" is not known to be a true starfish tube foot noise!

2. "Film"

Upon contact two different kinds of special "adhesive cells" release substances onto the substrate (which is the glass) which form an even film (shown in green below).

3. "Mesh"

At this point one of the adhesive cells release a substance that starts to form a thick "meshwork structure" (shown in yellow below) in the fuzzy coat. The mesh expands and "bulk up" creating more structure within the fuzzy coat.

4. Detachment

When the tube foot releases from the glass, a substance will release from the disk epidermis to permits the tube feet can detach easily and at the starfish's will. However, there will be no adherent material accumulate on the adhesive surfaces. Therefore, when we observe the starfish in aquaria will note that the tube feet generally remain clean during detachment in locomotion.

The video below shows the starfish's arm strongly attached to the wall of the tank. When we pull the arm, the tube feet are extended and some of them can even break and remain attached to the wall, this illustrating the strength of adhesion.

These shown the general ideas on the attachment and detachment of starfish. Now let's see on how can it apply to the proposed industry application. Continue reading the next post to find out our novel industry application!

NOVEL Industry application suggestion - PART I

Good day peeps! =P

As mentioned in the earlier posts, starfish has the ability to stick on glass but how can it be relates to industry application? Please continue to read this post. =)

Starfish get around with structures called tube feet. Each consists of a tiny tube with a suction cup on the end. A typical starfish has hundreds of these structures. Starfish control their tube feet with the fluid of their vascular system. These tiny limbs allow them to slowly move across the sea floor.

The starfish use these structures to hold onto surfaces like they would hold onto your tank glass or hold and apply pressure to their prey just like the pictures shown below.

This shows that starfish is the sticky superheroes.

By taking inspiration from starfish, we are able to adopt the special locomotion from starfish and generate an idea on CREATING A "STARFISH" BODY SUIT WHICH HAVE THE ABILITY TO STICK ON GLASS. This body suit is targeted on the building cleaners for safety purposes as the adhesive suction cups can be positioned at the foot, knees, abdomen and between the elbow and wrist.

Lets read the next post for more details on the locomotion of starfish and how is this feature apply to the industry application.

Movement of Starfish

This is a short video behind the movements of the Starfish on the glass surface, courtesy by Bruce Gray. This video was an inspiration behind our invention. Enjoy!

Literature Review Part (C): Bioinspiration

Hi all! Today, we will share some bio-inspirations of starfish!  

Ossicals: resist fractures via microscopic holes in the structure

'Foamy' materials in which any threatening crack will be in short order run into a hole. This reduces the chance of cracking. The little hard bits of echinoderms, the ossicles, develop as single crystals, but they avoid excessive brittleness of typical crystals by being especially holey.

Bioinspired products/applications: 

Construction, ceramics, material science, building science, pipes

·        Concrete & building materials for construction, 

·        Packaging materials (save more energy during recycling),

·        Plastics e.g. computer case (prevent cracks from spreading),

·        Pipes ('self-arrest' any cracks)

Source: 1) Vogel S. 2003. Comparative Biomechanics: Life's Physical World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 580 p.

Tube feet: move & handle food using hydraulic system

Something similar happens in echinoderm tube feet-small, soft, unjointed and exceedingly numerous organs used for locomotion and handling food which are noticeable when a starfish creeps up the glass wall of an aquarium. Ampilla, which available above each tube foot is a bulbous chamber that is equipped with circular muscles and reinforcing fibers at right angle to that muscle. The contraction of foot muscle forces the expelled fluid into the ampulla by extending its muscle. That couples the food muscle and ampulla in a hydraulically linked antagonism (McCurley and Kier 1995). The whole thing hooks onto the water-vascular system of pipes to vary the overall volume. A one-way flap valve prevents contraction of either foot or ampullary muscle from forcing water back into the pipes at the same time (Maerkel and Roesel 1992).

Bioinspired products/applications:

Safety mechanisms for pipes, water supply & sanitation, oil and gas

Source: 1) Vogel S. 2003. Comparative Biomechanics: Life's Physical World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 580 p.

2) McCurley, RS; Kier, WM. 1995. The functional biology of starfish tube feet: the role of a crossed-fiber helical array in movement. The Biological Bulletin. 188(2): 197-209

3) Maerkel, K; Roeser, U. 1992. Functional anatomy of the valves in the ambulacral system of sea urchins (Echinodermata: Echinoidea). Zoomorphology. 111: 179-192.

Body: helps buffer thermal variations in low tide by taking up and storing cold sea water during high tide

Scientists have discovered that starfish has remarkable strategy to avoid overheating in the sun. It pumps itself up with cold seawater to lower the body temperature when being exposed to the sun at low tide. It is equivalent to a person drinking 7 L of water before heading into the midday sun (Bourton 2009). The body temperature of ectotherms is influenced by the interaction of abiotic conditions, morphology and behaviour. Organisms living in different thermal habitats may exhibit morphological plasticity or move from unfavourable locations. 

When starfish exposed to high body temperature at low tide, it increases the amount of colder-than-air fluid in their coelomic cavity when submerged during high tide, resulting in a lower body temperature during the subsequent high tide. The enables them to modify the coelomic fluid volume which provides them with a novel thermoregulatory 'backup' during prolonged exposure to elevated aerial temperatures (Pincebourde et al. 2009).

Bioinspired products/applications:

Electronics, Computer science, Building, Construction, Manufacturing

·        Buffer temperature fluctuations in buildings

·        Computer equipment by adding a fluid

     
Source: 1) BourtonJ. 2009. Starfish 'pump up' to cool down. BBC Earth News

2) Pincebourde S; Sanford E; Helmult B. 2009. An intertidal sea star adjusts thermal inertia to avoid extreme body temperatures. American Naturalist. 174(6): 890-7.

Legs & tubes: allow movement and feeding by hydrostatic pressure

The echinoderms bodies work by unique exploitation of hydrostatic principles. Each thin tube of the feet ending in a sucker is being kept firm by the pressure of water within the waves and curl in rows along the arms. When a drifting particle of food touches an arm, tube feet fasten onto it and pass it on from one to another until it reaches the gutter that runs down the upper surface of the arm to the mouth at the centre (Attenborough 1979:49).

Bioinspired products/applications:

Prosthetic limbs, robotics, transportation or other movement using water pressure, manufacturing, medical, transportation industries

Source: 1) Attenborough, David. 1979. Life on Earth. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company. 319 p.

Arms: self-repair / self-healing

Self-healing solves the quality assurance problem and reduces life cycle costs. The extended life reduces the number of replacements as well as future costs. This self-repairing materials is less expensive because the repair material is built in and high availability. 

Bioinspired products/applications:

Self-repairing concrete 

·        consists of repair material in hollow fibers in the repair matrix before it is subjected to damage; the usual approaches for structural concrete repair are polymer injection, pre-stressing, geomembranes and polymer wraps where these techniques are ductile, less brittle failure and unstable.

Polymer composites

·        With unique toughness and strength by self-repair which occurs at material interfaces and damaged areas. It is repaired by releasing repair chemicals from within the composites itself. The hollow fibers are embedded in the matrix and the chemicals are released whenever there is cracking or other matrix damage occurs. The crack faces are rebounded when the repair chemical flows into the crack.

Source: 1) The Natural Process Design, Inc. 

That's all for today! Till next time! =)

Literature Review Part (C): Reverse Engineering Worksheet

1.     Examine the biological artifact with the intent of discerning:

a)     What does the biological artifact do?

-eat

-regenerate their wound

-asexual reproduction

-enchinoderms (family name)

-marine invertebrate

b)     How does the biological artifact work?

-clean the seafloor

-climb on the wall

c)     How might the biological artifact’s requirements have been?

-optimum salinity and temperature (Environment)

-Tube feet (Offensive)

-Thorny appearance (Defensive)

2.     Relate the biological artifact’s features to the requirements listed in 1. (c):

a)     List the product features (geometry, materials, mechanism, etc.).

-Optimum salinity and temperature

-Tube feet

-Thorny appearance

b)     How do biological artifact’s features support the requirements?

 

c)     Are there features that don’t map to any requirements?

Yes.

3.     Form and Function

a)     How do the form (shape) and material of a feature relate to the function that the feature performs?

4.     Engineering Inspiration
a)     Suggest a new product or process based upon what you have learnt in 1-3 above.
-High rise suit for building cleaners when they stick to the glass of high level buildings.