Bioinspired Engineered Systems

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 905

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Engineering, Institute for Materials and Processes, The University of Edinburgh, Sanderson Building, Robert Stevenson Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FB, UK
Interests: biomimetic design; composite materials; bioinspired engineering; comparative biomechanics; mechanical metamaterials; cellular solids
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue “Bioinspired Engineered Systems” will elucidate the latest advances in robotics, bionic engineering, materials, and design as inspired by biological systems, structures, and materials. This Special Issue aims to publish impactful articles intersecting the two areas of biology and engineering, with a special emphasis on system design. This would include aspects related to the design of materials, systems, and structures, affecting aspects such as locomotion, mechanical behaviour and dynamics, surfaces and kinematics. Papers with a focus on animal or plant biomechanics with transferrable outputs to bioinspired engineered systems are also welcomed. Significant developments over recent decades in imaging, testing, and modelling have brought to light the existence of specialised function-specific designs in nature. Biological systems offer novel pathways to the innovation of engineered systems, both in terms of design and manufacture. Original research papers, short communications presenting emerging techniques, as well as disruptive technologies, and review articles are encouraged for submission to this Special Issue, with particular focus on the following areas:

  • Biomimetic design of robots;
  • Biomimetic locomotion: kinematics and kinetics;
  • Bioinspired surfaces and interface technologies;
  • Bioinspired structural design with application to engineered systems;
  • Bioinspired materials and structures with application to engineered systems;
  • Advances in bionic engineering;
  • Bioinspired joints and actuation;
  • Geometrical considerations in the design of bioinspired engineering systems;
  • Disruptive biomimetic technologies;
  • Comparative biomechanics with clearly transferrable outputs to engineered systems;
  • Mechanical behaviour and properties of bioinspired engineered systems;
  • 3D printing / additive manufacturing of bioinspired parts, structures and components.

Dr. Parvez Alam
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bioinspired engineering
  • biomimetic design
  • materials and structures
  • bionic engineering
  • modelling and simulation
  • design and manufacture
  • prototyping, testing and validation
  • comparative biomechanics
  • bioinspired functional materials and structures
  • bioinspired surfaces and interfaces
  • bioinspired joints and actuation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 6147 KiB  
Article
Design and Control of Dual-Segment Multi-Wire Driven Bionic Soft Arm with Integrated Suction Cups
by Zhaosheng Wu, Qiuxuan Wu, Fulin Du, Zikai Zhao, Shoucheng Xiang, Hongkun Zhou, Yanbin Luo and Zhiyuan Hu
Biomimetics 2025, 10(3), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10030133 - 24 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 504
Abstract
Given the growing complexity of underwater operation tasks, particularly in confined spaces, turbulent environments, and dynamic object manipulation, the limitations of traditional rigid robotic arms are becoming ever more evident. To tackle these challenges, this paper proposes the development of a soft robotic [...] Read more.
Given the growing complexity of underwater operation tasks, particularly in confined spaces, turbulent environments, and dynamic object manipulation, the limitations of traditional rigid robotic arms are becoming ever more evident. To tackle these challenges, this paper proposes the development of a soft robotic arm modeled after octopus tentacles, incorporating biomimetic suckers. To tackle these challenges, this paper proposes the development of a soft robotic arm modeled after octopus tentacles, incorporating biomimetic suckers. By imitating the functional structure and suction cups of an octopus arm, a soft arm with a dual-segment continuous structure and eight-wire drive control is designed, integrating a flexible suction cup at the distal segment. A three-dimensional, dual-segment eight-wire driven segmented constant curvature motion model is developed to enable precise bending and rotational movements. In underwater grasping experiments, the soft robotic arm exhibited enhanced grasping stability, particularly in underwater environments, where it effectively copes with fluid disturbances and the capture of dynamic objects. This substantially increased the reliability and efficiency of underwater operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Engineered Systems)
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Review

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34 pages, 13428 KiB  
Review
Materials and Structures Inspired by Human Heel Pads for Advanced Biomechanical Function
by Zhiqiang Zhuang, Congtian Gu, Shunlin Li, Hu Shen, Ning Liu, Ziwei Li, Dakai Wang, Cong Wang, Linpeng Liu, Kaixian Ba, Bin Yu and Guoliang Ma
Biomimetics 2025, 10(5), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10050267 - 27 Apr 2025
Viewed by 127
Abstract
The heel pad, located under the calcaneus of the human foot, is a hidden treasure that has been subjected to harsh mechanical conditions such as impact, vibration, and cyclic loading. This has resulted in a unique compartment structure and material composition, endowed with [...] Read more.
The heel pad, located under the calcaneus of the human foot, is a hidden treasure that has been subjected to harsh mechanical conditions such as impact, vibration, and cyclic loading. This has resulted in a unique compartment structure and material composition, endowed with advanced biomechanical functions including cushioning, vibration reduction, fatigue resistance, and touchdown stability, making it an ideal natural bionic prototype in the field of bionic materials. It has been shown that the highly specialized structure and material composition of the heel pad endows it with biomechanical properties such as hyperelasticity, viscoelasticity, and mechanical anisotropy. These complex biomechanical properties underpin its advanced functions. Although it is known that these properties interact with each other, the detailed influence mechanism remains unclear, which restricts its application as a bionic prototype in the field of bionic materials. Therefore, this study provides a comprehensive review of the structure, materials, biomechanical properties, and functions of the heel pad. It focuses on elucidating the relationships between the structure, materials, biomechanical properties, and functions of heel pads and proposes insights for the study of bionic materials using the heel pad as a bionic prototype. Finally, a research idea to analyze the advanced mechanical properties of heel pads by integrating sophisticated technologies is proposed, aiming to provide directions for further in-depth research on heel pads and inspiration for the innovative design of advanced bionic materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Engineered Systems)
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