title: A Protocol for Bioinspired Design: A Ground Sampler Based on Sea Urchin Jaws.
abstract: Bioinspired design is an emerging field that takes inspiration from nature to develop high-performance materials and devices. The sea urchin mouthpiece, known as the Aristotle's lantern, is a compelling source of bioinspiration with an intricate network of musculature and calcareous teeth that can scrape, cut, chew food and bore holes into rocky substrates. We describe the bioinspiration process as including animal observation, specimen characterization, device fabrication and mechanism bioexploration. The last step of bioexploration allows for a deeper understanding of the initial biology. The design architecture of the Aristotle's lantern is analyzed with micro-computed tomography and individual teeth are examined with scanning electron microscopy to identify the microstructure. Bioinspired designs are fabricated with a 3D printer, assembled and tested to determine the most efficient lantern opening and closing mechanism. Teeth from the bioinspired lantern design are bioexplored via finite element analysis to explain from a mechanical perspective why keeled tooth structures evolved in the modern sea urchins we observed. This circular approach allows for new conclusions to be drawn from biology and nature.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego.
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego.
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Naleway
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego.
authors.forename: Taylor S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego.
authors.forename: Jae-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego.
authors.forename: Charlene L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego.
authors.forename: Faviola B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Loera
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.affiliation: Integrative Oceanography Division, Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
authors.forename: Kirk N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
authors.forename: Jennifer R A
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego; jmckittrick@eng.ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McKittrick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D040761:Biomimetic Materials; D004867:Equipment Design; D007568:Jaw / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography