photo: N.K.Dey_2012

DJA Biomimetics at Schloss Loburg, Ostbevern 2012

Wecome to the student-delegates, Biomimetics 2012

The DJA Biomimetics Student delegates and Course-Leaders 2012 (in presentation order)

Marvin

Fritz

Noel

Sophie

Josie

Lea

J-D

Fabian

Ariana

Matthius

Moritz

Johanna

Allasandra

Paula

Lisa

Lara

Florian

Gero

Course-Leaders:

Romilly Keen (UK, Biomimetics)

Nick Dey (UK, Biomimetics)

Nadja (Germany, Academy Leader)

David (Germany, Sports & Activities)

Marie (Germany, Music) 

Our final Biomimetics team photo.
photo: Peter Henley-Smith

Biomimetic 2012 Chronology

Day 1: Arrivals, Welcome and a few 'get-to-know-you' games, dinner, good night - don't forget the early jog-&-swim! Thursday, 2nd August, 2012

Day 2: Student-delegate presentations (in order as above) from the pre-course forum...

• Bio-imitation, biomimetics, Bionik: what is it and how does it work? = Noel
• Bionik design through history = Marvin
• Top Down Design – what is it and how does it work? = Fritz
• Bottom Up Design – what is it and how does it work? = Gero
• Evolution and Bionik design

Some other great topics to cover would be...
• Stability in construction – how a water lily inspired the world. = Jan-David
• Lightweight structure: from bones to building. = Moritz
• Build upwards: from grass to the skies!

• Clever construction: climate and energy tricks from Nature. = Lea
• Soaking up the sun: photosynthesis and a butterfly’s flight.

• Simple surfaces: soap bubble to honeycombs.
• Folding and unfolding: from nature to new techniques.
• The Lotus effect: what principle is this and how/where is it used today? = Sophie
• The Gecko’s Foot: what principle is this and how/where is it used today? Josefine
• Velcro: inspired by what? Developed how? Used why, where and when?
• Natures textiles: keeping cool on the run.
• Swimming through the sand: bio-inspiration from the Sahara. = Alessandra
• From a rat’s tooth to a self-sharpening blade. = Florian
• From Shark skin to swimsuit = Ariane
• Whale fins to rotor blades.
• How have penguins inspired Biomimetic engineers? = Paula
• The bionic car: inspired by the boxfish (kofferfisch) = Johanna
• Flight: seed dispersal and the parachute
• Flight: winglets, turbulence and the Albatross = Matthias
• Flying silently: inspired by the owl.
• The ‘Bionik’ Robot
• Muscle contraction and bio-inspiration
• Walking on other planets: from insect to explorer
• OLE: Offroad-LoschEinheit
• Communication from nature
• Spider silk: strong, elastic and sticky! = Lisa
• Algorithms from nature – what can we learn from Ant and how can we describe (and predict) their behaviour.
• Optics from nature
• From bats to automatic car parking – ultrasound from nature = Fabian
• Swarm behaviour in nature – what can we take from this?
• Bionik from Medicine: prosthetics – basic to myoelectrical stimulation
• Bionik from Medicine: photoreceptors in nature and how this is inspiring optical implants. Seeing again!
• Bionik from Medicine:: Chochlea Implants – hearing again.
• Bioniks from the sea-gherkin – please explain this to me!
• The Axolotl: seaweed glue & worm glue? = Lara

Day 3 & 4: Egg-bert the Egg-celent Egg-stronaut: a Top-Down-Design Biomimetic Challenge.

Day 5: A Bottom-up-Design Challenge: Folding in Nature... take a leaf out of Romilly's book!

Day 6: A Biomimetic challenge: top-down or bottom-up? Research: construction in nature then meet the challenge, 'Who can span the greatest distance?'

Day 7: Rotation Morning - teach and learn Biomimetics, Nanotechnology and Symmetry in Nature. Afternoon, a trip to Münster.

Day 8: Construction in the Wildnerness - A fully sustainable biomimetic shelter. Aim: to cover with the results of folding in nature.

Day 9: Planning, design and preparation for the Final Presentation.

Day 10: Preparation for the Final Presentation + orchestra and choir rehersals

Day 11: The Final Presentations and Farewells ... you were fantastic and will be missed. Part 1 & Part 2 available here (YouTube)

Project management: flexible, fun, feasible!

photo:N.K.Dey

Please post your feedback, questions, thoughts, memories, wishes in the comments section below.

Thanks, Nick

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