PROD612-24S2 (C) Semester Two 2024

Bio-inspired design

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 15 July 2024
End Date: Sunday, 10 November 2024
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 28 July 2024
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 29 September 2024

Description

Form, function, and process-based inspiration from biology in design. Biomimetics, bionics and bio-inspired technology. Students will be required to study models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. Top-down and bottom-up design processed in bio-inspired design. Understand bio-inspired design and its relationship to matauranga Maori. Systematic identification of key aspects of biological design as found in living systems and organisms taken from scientific literature. Transfer of biological terms into technology based design requirements in fields including locomotion, air- and hydrodynamics, anti-fouling, architecture, adhesion, swarm intelligence and energy recovery. Students will be asked to study existing examples and develop their own individual design based on a specific living organism.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the definitions and design implications of biomimetics, bionics and bio-inspired technology.
2. Understand and apply the bottom-up and top-down process in bio-inspired design.
3. Be able to translate biological research finding into technical design constraints.
4. Use a bio-inspired design approach in product design.
5. Understand the historic context of bio-inspired design and be familiar with key examples in the field.
6. Understand bio-inspired design and its relationship to Mātauranga Māori.

Prerequisites

Approval of the Head of the School of Product Design

Timetable 2024

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 09:00 - 11:00 West 214 (15/7-29/7)
West 323 (5/8-19/8, 9/9-16/9, 7/10-14/10)
15 Jul - 25 Aug
9 Sep - 22 Sep
7 Oct - 20 Oct
Computer Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 10:00 - 12:00 Len Lye 201 Computer Lab
23 Sep - 6 Oct

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Hossein Najaf Zadeh

Course Administrator

Alison Lowery

Lecturers

Nick Emerson and Euan Coutts

Assessment

In class presentations: 10% (5% per presentation)
Bio-inspired design developed by the bottom-up process (Poster, presentation): 25%

In-silico exploration of top-down processes (Extended lab tasks, optimisation of a bio-inspired robotic soft gripper): 25% (split into 5% and 15%)

Research proposal for a bio-inspired application: Report 20%, Presentation 20%

Total: 100%

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,197.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Product Design .

All PROD612 Occurrences

  • PROD612-24S2 (C) Semester Two 2024