A case study in bio-inspired engineering design: defense applications of exoskeletal sensors |
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Authors: | Mark Ginsberg Jeff Schiano Megan Kramer Marianne Alleyne |
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Institution: | 1. Engineer Research and Development Center, Materials and Structures Branch , 2902 Newmark Drive, Champaign , IL , 61822 , USA;2. Department of Electrical Engineering , The Pennsylvania State University , 227D Electrical Engineering West, University Park , PA , 16802 , USA;3. Society of Women Engineers , Engineering Hall 110A, 1308 W Green Street, Urbana , IL , 61801 , USA;4. Department of Entomology , University of Illinois , 320 Morrill Hall, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana , IL , 61801 , USA |
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Abstract: | As part of a bio-inspired design process, the authors examine exoskeletal sensors found in insects and their potential application to armor and hardened buildings. In this way, the outer hardening of a structure or vehicle would not limit the ability of occupants to arrive at an actionable picture of the outer environment. To this end, various sensor modalities employed by insects are compared and contrasted with their current human-engineered equivalents. In several sensing modalities, biosensors perform better, are smaller, and more energy efficient than human-engineered equivalents. They note that biological designs tend to employ non-linear response to signal amplitude and respond with heightened sensitivity over a greater dynamic range of signals than human-engineered sensors. The insect biological sensors have structural and mechanical innovations that preserve the protective capacity of the exoskeleton. |
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Keywords: | bio-inspired exoskeletal sensors sensor enhanced armor building sensor insect sensors sensor design non-linear feedback sensor sensitivity sensitivity enhancement physical security |
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