Yorick says..
The most interesting proposed used of bio-mimicry that was developed
in this blog is the Vivace energy harvester. The Vivace design mimicked the
propulsion technique of the fish and come out with the ocean or river current
harvester that solve the energy challenge of this century. The design that we
proposed are not patentable because of the minimum requirement to patent a
concept or product in Malaysia is to keep the design private and avoid from
exposure to the public. While working as a team, this work become easier
because each of us can distribute the tasks evenly and hence increased the
productivity of this project.
Lik Hong says..
In my opinion, the most interesting proposed used of the biomimicry
that was developed in the blog is the flexible bullet proof armor which
inspired by fish scales. In contrast with the traditional bullet proof vest,
the bullet proof armor inspired by fish scales is light in weight while still
allows the bending movement of the torso while still provide adequate
protection to the user. Moving on to the proposed industrial design inspired by
our adopted animal, I do not think that the proposed design of an Autonomous
Underwater Vehicle (AUV) is patentable as prior to applying for a design
patent, a prototype has to be built in order to carry out testing and to
validate the performance and functionality of the proposed design. The building
and testing of the prototype would require huge amount of fund, which is
currently lack by the team even though the design is unique. Working as a team
has definitely made this project easier as each member would contributes to
different parts of the project. Time taken for the completion of the project
will also be shorten with the sufficient work force provided by the team
members.
Xin Ying says..
The most interesting proposed used of bio-mimicry that was
developed in this blog is the surgical tool. A new surgical tool mimicked the suction cup-like discs on the belly of a clingfish
increases the efficiency of laparoscopic operation
which require to work through very small incisions elsewhere in the body using
a lighted tube. I think our design, pleco fish inspired underwater vehicle is
unique however it is not patentable as research on how humans can take advantage of the a pleco
fish’s streamline shape is still in the preliminary stages. More research is
needed before it becomes a reality. I strongly think that working as a
team made this project a lot easier. First, we select a team leader which can
take the overall coordination of the team. Then, the team leader will
distribute the tasks to different team members based on their expertise
accordingly. Besides, we brainstorm as a group
to generate the best ideas, learn how to solve problems together as a team,
respect each other’s differences and ideas.
Joe Han says..
The existence of our blog documents the overall progress of
our study which was intended to adopt a pet that would be the source of
inspiration in our bio mimicry design. The aforementioned adaptation deduced to
be a Hypostomus plecostomus; also known as suckermouth catfish. Throughout the
14 week period study, what appealed to me the most about this fish is that it’s
defensive mechanism from predators and how it had made other predators find it
as an undesirable meal. The pleco fish in short, possess an organic hard
topside which shields it from attacks by other aquatic organisms. Even though,
its underside is soft, this would not prove to be an issue as most of the time,
the fish stick to a surface, keeping its vulnerability hidden.
Through the study of organic armour, I have discovered that
an invention based of biomimicry inspiration had resulted in creating a
‘Flexible Bullet Proof Armor’ which was a great improvement to the convention
armour. To be able to provide equal resistance similar to the conventional
bullet proof vest but exhibiting a much lighter weight and greater flexibility.
This would be a great breakthrough in the military department as well as the
astronauts.
As for our inspired bio mimicry design, which is the
‘Conceptual AUV’ based off our Pleco fish, I believe that we would not be able
to gain patent for it. This is due to the required extensive research,
countless test and simulation and also, huge amount of funding which we highly
lack. Even though being a good idea in theory, our progress is far from being
substantial to be patented.
In other aspects, working in a multidisciplinary team had
proven to be beneficial to our project. Different expertise in knowledge had
given us an advantage but not with the exclusion of minor setbacks as well. Due
to the difference on our backgrounds, achieving an agreement takes longer
period as multiple accounts of matter were taken into detailed consideration
from our different views of perspective. All in all, our team managed to make
the most of the skills and knowledge we have and enjoyed the company, as well
as the constructive criticism that came along.