1. Examine the biological artifact with the intent of discerning
What does the pet do?
Hedgehogs are spiny animals that belong to the Erinaceinae family. They are nocturnal as they get most active at night and they feed on insects, snails and frogs. Hedgehogs are covered in spines made of keratin, that they use a defense mechanism when are attacked by a predator. They also protect hedgehogs from impacts, as they commonly fall from trees.
How does it work?
Wild hedgehogs climb trees to find food. Sometimes they fall by accident from heights as high as 30 feet, as a hedgehog falls toward the ground, it rolls into a ball and its spine absorbs the shock protecting its face and body. The reduction of impact could be explained due to the decrease in area of impact, which lessens the pressure put on the hedgehogs when it falls.
2. Engineering Inspiration
Hedgehogs are spiny animals that belong to the Erinaceinae family. They are nocturnal as they get most active at night and they feed on insects, snails and frogs. Hedgehogs are covered in spines made of keratin, that they use a defense mechanism when are attacked by a predator. They also protect hedgehogs from impacts, as they commonly fall from trees.
How does it work?
Wild hedgehogs climb trees to find food. Sometimes they fall by accident from heights as high as 30 feet, as a hedgehog falls toward the ground, it rolls into a ball and its spine absorbs the shock protecting its face and body. The reduction of impact could be explained due to the decrease in area of impact, which lessens the pressure put on the hedgehogs when it falls.
2. Engineering Inspiration
New Product
The ability of a hedgehog to absorb shocks using its spines could be used in multiple applications to reduce impacts. Knee impacts in sports such as football and rugby and in motor cycle accidents can cause a lot of injuries that are very difficult to fix. Such as ACL sprains and tibia plateau fractures. This makes the hedgehog spine mechanism a valuable innovation to be applied to knee protectors that would work in minimizing the impact forces.
3. Reflection
The ability of a hedgehog to absorb shocks using its spines could be used in multiple applications to reduce impacts. Knee impacts in sports such as football and rugby and in motor cycle accidents can cause a lot of injuries that are very difficult to fix. Such as ACL sprains and tibia plateau fractures. This makes the hedgehog spine mechanism a valuable innovation to be applied to knee protectors that would work in minimizing the impact forces.
3. Reflection
Do you think the product will work if it is manufactured? As innovations from nature has been used by nature for a hundred of years, it has already been tested and works. But due to the differences in application, material, size of the use it will be applied it a lot of research and development has to be put into the product. Therefore, if the correct material and shape is used the knee pads could have a great impact force reduction that would save thousands of knee injuries annually.
Do you think you can raise funds? Due to the increase in the popularity of crowdfunding products and websites and the widespread use of knee pads in athletes and motorcyclists, there will be a large crowd that will be willing to help us to raise the funds necessary. But to accomplish the following goal, it is necessary to target the right crowd and to create a crowdfunding page on a popular platform and add attractive content and rewards that would attract potential customers.
Do you think engineers explore solution from nature into their invention? Engineers have always been exploring solutions from nature and applying it into the products they design. This includes applications in structures and aerodynamics of airplanes and ships. Nature will always be used as a platform for innovation for engineers.
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