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28 Biomimetics: Biologically Inspired Technologies

used separately or together to perform the recognition of the samples, where after completing a
measurement, procedure signals are transformed by a preprocessing block. The results are then
analyzed by various pattern recognition blocks consisting of AI processes (e.g., Cluster Analysis or
Artificial Neural Network). The performance of electronic tongues depends on the quality of
functioning of its pattern recognition block.
E-tongues are increasingly being used in such applications as monitoring food taste and
quality, noninvasive diagnostics (patient’s breath, analysis of urine, sweat, and skin odor), search-
ing for chemical or biological weapon, drugs, and explosives, as well as environmental pollution
monitoring.

1.8 ROBOTICS EMULATING BIOLOGY

The introduction of the wheel has been one of the most important human inventions — allowing
humans to traverse great distances and perform tasks that would have been otherwise impossible
within the lifetime of a single human being. While wheel-locomotion mechanisms allow reaching
great distances and speeds, wheeled vehicles are subject to great limitations with regard to
traversing complex terrain with obstacles. Obviously, legged creatures can perform numerous
functions that are far beyond the capability of an automobile. Producing legged-robots is increas-
ingly becoming an objective for robotic developers and using such robots for space applications is
currently under consideration. Also, operating robots as colonies or flocks is a growing area of
robotic research.
Bio-inspired mechanisms are not only based on legs — since wind is blown throughout Mars,
producing a spacecraft that imitates the tumbleweed offers an attractive option. The tumbleweed
inspired the design of a mobility system that uses wind rather than a power-consuming mechanism.
As shown in Figure 1.17, the tumbleweed has inspired a futuristic lander that is being investigated
as a potential vehicle for mobility on Mars.
Industry is increasingly benefited from advancement in robotics and automation that are
biologically inspired (Bar-Cohen, 2000; Bar-Cohen and Breazeal, 2003). Crawlers with complex-
shaped legs and various manipulation devices are commonly used to perform a variety of non-
destructive evaluation (NDE) tasks. At JPL, a multifunctional automated crawling system (MACS)
was developed to simplify scanning of aircraft structures in field conditions (Figure 1.18). MACS
employs two sets of legs to support mobility and one set that allows for rotation of its platform.
MACS was designed to perform scanning by effectively ‘‘walking’’ on the aircraft fuselage while

PARTIALLY
INFLATED DEFLATED
SPHERE SPHERE
(STOPPED)

Wind-Blown “Tumbleweed”
Figure 1.17 The tumbleweed (left) offered an inspiration for a futuristic design of a Mars lander.