Modeling and implementation of a networked system of bio-inspired autonomous mobile sensors with applications to real time angiogenesis, drug delivery, and environmental monitoring.

仿生自主移动传感器网络系统的建模和实现，应用于实时血管生成、药物输送和环境监测。

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-05783
• 负责人: Spinello, Davide
• 金额: $ 1.89万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=615900
• 关键词: Modeling; implementation; networked; system; bio

Systems of interacting living organisms display a variety of cooperative strategies and collective behaviours, as well as fine adaptations to their environments, as individuals sense each other and the environment through different communication channels. The wide range of spatial and temporal scales at which these systems operate motivates multidisciplinary studies to understand and model their peculiar characteristics. At the evolutionary time scales, all organisms from very simple to complex, adapt to their environment through behaviours that allow them to navigate through their environments. The mechanics of biological systems locomotion is studied to understand the structure of interactions with diverse environments, which in turn can inform robotic design in the attempt of adopting the same solutions that are often characterized by robustness, adaptability, and extensibility to a variety of scenarios. In the context of this research, the physics and mechanics of millipedes and centipedes has been used to elaborate a mathematical model for a robotic device, targeting the following main characteristics: (1) Autonomous operation; (2) Capability of navigating in different environments; (3) Capability of sensing properties of the environment, as for example stiffness and density of the substrate. Millipedes and centipedes posses elongated flexible bodies, sustained by distributions of legs in contact with the environment. The redundancy of the legs ensures persistent contact and therefore the capability of moving in uneven terrains. Moreover, the bodies' flexibility allows for shape morphing with respect to the substrate, facilitating the navigation. This set of features are desirable in a robotic device autonomously negotiating unknown, unstructured environments. In recent work from my research group, a mathematical model based on these characteristics has been derived and demonstrated in simulation, and a first generation prototype is currently being manufactured. Building on these premises, I propose to extend theoretical results to the study of a networked system of these devices, in which several of them are coupled (for example through mechanical actions transmitted through a common substrate), and take advantage of multitasking and collective capabilities of the group, that emerge from cooperation. I envision tailoring the system to different important applications, such as real time angiogenesis, in which miniaturized versions of the devices continually monitor the health status of cardiovascular tissues in critical areas, and induce tissue repair when critical conditions are detected; drug delivery targeting specific functions and using physiological data as feedback to assess the effectiveness and adjust to dynamic conditions; and environmental monitoring with real time intervention and disaster prevention.

当个体通过不同的沟通渠道感知彼此和环境时，相互作用的生物体系统表现出各种合作策略和集体行为，以及对环境的良好适应。这些系统运行的时空尺度范围广泛，激发了多学科研究来理解和模拟其独特的特征。在进化时间尺度上，所有生物体从非常简单到复杂，都通过允许它们在环境中导航的行为来适应环境。研究生物系统运动的力学是为了了解与不同环境的相互作用的结构，这反过来又可以为机器人设计提供信息，尝试采用相同的解决方案，这些解决方案通常具有针对各种场景的鲁棒性、适应性和可扩展性。在本研究的背景下，利用千足虫和蜈蚣的物理和力学来阐述机器人设备的数学模型，其主要特点如下：（1）自主操作； (2)不同环境下的航行能力； (3)感测环境特性的能力，例如基材的刚度和密度。千足虫和蜈蚣拥有细长的柔性身体，由与环境接触的腿分布维持。腿部的冗余确保了持续的接触，因此能够在不平坦的地形中移动。此外，物体的灵活性允许其相对于基底发生形状变形，从而促进导航。 这组功能对于自动适应未知、非结构化环境的机器人设备来说是理想的。在我的研究小组最近的工作中，基于这些特性的数学模型已经被推导并在模拟中得到证明，并且第一代原型目前正在制造中。在此基础上，我建议将理论结果扩展到这些设备的网络系统的研究中，其中多个设备是耦合的（例如通过公共基板传输的机械动作），并利用多任务处理和集体能力团体的成员，是通过合作而产生的。我设想根据不同的重要应用定制该系统，例如实时血管生成，其中设备的小型化版本持续监测关键区域心血管组织的健康状况，并在检测到关键情况时诱导组织修复；针对特定功能的药物输送，并使用生理数据作为反馈来评估有效性并根据动态条件进行调整；以及实时干预和灾害预防的环境监测。