Communities of Practice in Bio-Inspired Design: VINE, PeTaL, UA Biomimicry
Colleen Unsworth
Abstract
This presentation will overview the work of four different groups involved in natural systems/bio-
inspired design projects. It will explain the University of Akron’s Biomimicry Fellowship program, NASA’s
Virtual Interchange for Nature-Inspired Exploration (V.I.N.E.) clusters, the Periodic Table of Life (PeTaL)
project, and the collaborative work of UA’s Ontology group with Dr. Julian Vincent and Dr. Jacquelyn
Nagel. It will also overview Biocene, the Ohio-based annual symposium centered around nature-inspired
research, innovation, and education, organized by the Ohio Aerospace Institute, Great Lakes Biomimicry,
and NASA. The discussion will highlight recent exciting work by these groups, as well as opportunities for
involvement within these networks.
Bio
Colleen Unsworth is a Biomimicry Fellow at NASA’s Glenn Research Center and the Cleveland Museum
of Natural History (CMNH) through the University of Akron’s Biomimicry Fellowship program. At NASA,
she is on the PeTaL (Periodic Table of Life) team under Dr. Vik Shyam, coordinates the V.I.N.E. (Virtual
Interchange for Nature-Inspired Exploration) network, and helps organize Biocene, an annual
symposium on nature-inspired exploration. She is also involved in large-scale data digitization efforts
with NASA, CMNH, and other biomimicry partners. At the University of Akron, Colleen studies the
biomechanics of snake and myriapod locomotion for application to mobility assistance technologies, as
well as the potential for biomimicry to contribute to inclusive design practices.