"Technology inspired by animals"--Cover.

One fall day, a Swiss engineer was hiking with his dog. Soon the dog was covered in cockleburs, which held fast to its fur. After years of study and experimentation, the engineer invented Velcro, with hooks and loops just like the cockleburs. What would life be like without Velcro? In Animal Tech: Fur & Claws, readers will learn about six life-changing technologies that have been inspired by mammals. They will follow the stories of the scientists and engineers who have harnessed mammals’ abilities, developing them into powerful technologies that have shaped our world.

In the wild, animals use teeth, claws, and other natural weapons to attack their prey. On the battlefield, soldiers need weapons to fight the enemy. Military forces have often looked to nature for inspiration to develop effective weapons and combat tactics. From the first feathered arrows to tomorrow's high-tech weaponry, take a look at how military technology often imitates the natural weapons of animals to help soldiers succeed in combat. Then be sure to catch the other amazing titles in the Beasts and the Battlefield series.

Sensor Technologies for Civil Infrastructure, Volume 2: Applications in Structural Health Monitoring, Second Edition, provides an overview of sensor applications and a new section on future and emerging technologies. Part one is made up of case studies in assessing and monitoring specific structures such as bridges, towers, buildings, dams, tunnels, pipelines, and roads. The new edition also includes sensing solutions for assessing and monitoring of naval systems. Part two reviews emerging technologies for sensing and data analysis including diagnostic solutions for assessing and monitoring sensors, unmanned aerial systems, and UAV application in post-hazard event reconnaissance and site assessment. - Includes case studies in assessing structures such as bridges, buildings, super-tall towers, dams, tunnels, wind turbines, railroad tracks, nuclear power plants, offshore structures, naval systems, levees, and pipelines - Reviews future and emerging technologies and techniques including unmanned aerial systems, LIDAR, and ultrasonic and infrared sensing - Describes latest emerging techniques in data analysis such as diagnostic solutions for assessing and monitoring sensors and big data analysis

Biomimetic engineering takes the principles of biological organisms and copies, mimics or adapts these in the design and development of new materials and technologies. Biomimetic Technologies reviews the key materials and processes involved in this groundbreaking field, supporting theoretical background by outlining a range of applications. Beginning with an overview of the key principles and materials associated with biomimetic technologies in Part One, the book goes on to explore biomimetic sensors in more detail in Part Two, with bio-inspired tactile, hair-based, gas-sensing and sonar systems all reviewed. Biomimetic actuators are then the focus of Part Three, with vision systems, tissue growth and muscles all discussed. Finally, a wide range of applications are investigated in Part Four, where biomimetic technology and artificial intelligence are reviewed for such uses as bio-inspired climbing robots and multi-robot systems, microrobots with CMOS IC neural networks locomotion control, central pattern generators (CPG's) and biologically inspired antenna arrays. - Includes a solid overview of modern artificial intelligence as background to the principles of biomimetic engineering - Reviews a selection of key bio-inspired materials and sensors, highlighting their current strengths and future potential - Features cutting-edge examples of biomimetic technologies employed for a broad range of applications

Some of the greatest inventions that changed the modern world have been based on nature. In Cat Claws to Thumbtacks, readers will discover how the invention of thumbtacks were inspired by cat claws. Book includes table of contents, glossary, index, author biographies, and sidebars.

Through millions of years' natural selection, sharkskin has developed into a kind of drag-reducing surface. This book shows how to investigate, model, fabricate and apply sharkskin's unique surface properties, creating a flexible platform for surface and materials engineers and scientists to readily adopt or adapt for their own bio-inspired materials.Rather than inundate the reader with too many examples of materials inspired by nature, sharkskin has been chosen as the center-piece to illustrate accurate 3D digital modeling of surfaces, complete numerical simulation of micro flow field, different fabrication methods, and application to natural gas pipelining. This is a must-read for any researcher or engineer involved in bio-inspired surfaces and materials studies.