To identify fundamental biological principles and attributes relating to flight that can be optimized and refined to improve engineered systems. This is done within the framework of bio-informed research.
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How is bio-informed research different than bio-inspired or biomimetic?
The term bio-informed:
“implies that it is the underlying biological principle that informs the engineering design. It thereby differs from the broader approach of bio-inspired design, where the biological principle underlying the inspiration is often left somewhat vague (e.g. see the discussion of winglets below). It also differs from the narrower approach of biomimetic design, which implies a copy of some biological model, as opposed to abstraction or improvement on an underlying biological principle. Finally, it is distinct from the principle of bio-hybrid design, which incorporates biological elements within engineered systems as a means of enabling the acquisition of structural or material properties that would otherwise be missing from the engineering toolbox.”
C Harvey, G de Croon, G K. Taylor, R J. Bomphrey (2023) Lessons from natural flight for aviation: then, now and tomorrow. J Exp Biol. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.245409
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