Parameters for selecting biological features in multifunctional bio-inspired design: a convergent evolution approach.

Combining different biological features exhibiting different functions is necessary to generate uncommon and unique multifunctional bio-inspired conceptual designs. Different biological features independently evolve characteristics to solve the same need/necessity. This phenomenon is called convergent evolution. Without parameters, selecting a suitable feature from those that exhibit the same function and have the same geometric relevance becomes quite difficult. This research investigates and identifies the parameters that have the potential to support choosing the suitable biological feature and to support the multifunctional design concept generation. In this paper, parameters are hypothesized by studying the mechanisms of tissue formation responsible for generating structural features in a biological system. These parameters are used in the Expandable Domain Integrated Design (xDID) ideation model to aid designers in choosing and combining suitable biological features for multifunctional concepts. A case study is presented to validate the effectiveness of the parameters in the selection process .