I watch for developments in biomimicry. Biomimicry is the art of solving problems by looking for similar obstacles in nature ..then seeing how nature acts to overcome them. It’s the way doctors in ancient China discovered medicinal properties of plants. Today, physicians treat stroke victims by using medicine based on the saliva of vampire bats ..it keeps blood from clotting so that bats can drink longer ..and doctors can relieve blocked arteries.
Computer engineers study the inner ear so that robots have better orientation and can pick themselves up after they fall. They also study the way the brain processes information in order to keep robots from crashing into things. Just like us, they have to sort through streaming input, detect obstacles and adjust. Interestingly enough, they also become neurotic ..sometimes they sense ‘phantom obstacles’. That is, they see problems that aren’t really there.
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