Role Development for Interdisciplinary Collaboration Support in Biomimetics

In biomimetics technical problems are solved by transferring solutions and knowledge from biology into engineering design. This process often involves the generation of innovative concepts. The interdisciplinary collaboration and communication between biologists and engineers represents a main challenge in the process. Difficulties occur due to differences in terminology and methodology as well as operation processes used. This paper presents the development of roles in biomimetics, generated by combining biology and engineering tasks and characteristics. The new roles and tasks assessed can be used to facilitate the collaboration and communication between biologists and engineers. The roles developed are based on the insights and results gathered from an observation study done by engineers within a representative working group from biology. The study includes the analysis of tasks, work steps, data processing as well as communication methods and tools and information flows.     «

In biomimetics technical problems are solved by transferring solutions and knowledge from biology into engineering design. This process often involves the generation of innovative concepts. The interdisciplinary collaboration and communication between biologists and engineers represents a main challenge in the process. Difficulties occur due to differences in terminology and methodology as well as operation processes used. This paper presents the development of roles in biomimetics, generated by...     »