Chapter 1: Organism and Machine
There are variety of interactions between organism and machine.
engineering makes a bridge between organism and machine.

MechanicalIn this chapter, we study

on interdisciplinary study fields between organism and machine, comparing organismand machine.

1.1 Character of Organism and Machine
In the history of technology, organism inspires machines, and comprehension oforganism by mechanical engineering inspires prostheses (Fig. 1.1).

Fig. 1.1: Living body and machine.

A machine consists of multiple elements.

Forms, materials, energy sources,methods for conversion and transmission of energy, and the way how to control its
movement should be designed (Fig. 1.2).

© Shigehiro Hashimoto 2013, Published by Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan

Fig. 1.2: Character of machine.

Think about a blood pump, for example.
electric motor.

It consists of a casing, an impeller, and anEach element is made of metal, plastics, or other materials.

energy is converted into mechanical energy by an electric motor.
in a casing.

ElectricalAn impeller rotates

A blood is drawn into the center of the impeller, and impelled to thecircumference of the impeller by the centrifugal effect (Fig. 1.3).

Fig. 1.3: Centrifugal pump.
© Shigehiro Hashimoto 2013, Published by Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan

Engineering is a discipline to design an object.

The object is not limited to an

artificial work, but is extended to natural circumferences or social systems.
Engineering includes engineering for materials, chemical engineering, mechanicalengineering, electric engineering, electronics, and civil engineering.
includes architecture in Japan.

Engineering

Engineering includes a lot of new fields such as controlengineering, systems engineering, information technology, social engineering, humanengineering, environmental engineering, biotechnology, and design engineering.
Mechanical engineering designs machines.

You study how to design a machine,

how to make a machine, and how to move a machine.
a machine.

You create a new way to move

You create a new machine.

You define a force, which makes deformation or movement.

You study dynamics

of machinery, strength of materials, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics.

A forcealso works between objects. A force is categorized to several groups: an electricalforce between electric charges, a magnetic force between magnetic charges, a universal
gravitation, a Van der Waals force, and a nuclear force.
Instead of a counter object, you can define a force field, such as a gravitational field,
an electrical field, and a magnetic field. An object falls from the high level to the lowlevel at the surface of the earth.

You can define a gravitational force along thegravitational field without definition of the counter object “the earth”.
An organism is analogous to a machine, from the perspective that it consists ofmultiple elements, and moves with consumption of the energy.
and evacuates materials in the environment.

The organism takes

The organism moves, converting achemical energy to electrical and mechanical types of energy (Fig. 1.4).

© Shigehiro Hashimoto 2013, Published by Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan

Fig. 1.4: Character of organism.

The movement of the machine has been designed beforehand.
the organism, on the other hand, is the results of learning.
realize stability.

The movement ofThe machine is designed toThe organism, on the other hand, keeps variation, and adapts to theenvironment (Fig. 1.5).

Fig. 1.5: Difference between organism and machine.

A new machine is designed as an imitation of an organism: biomimetics. A robot
is designed to imitate the movement of a human: humanoid.

A machine realizes asuper movement beyond a human.

© Shigehiro Hashimoto 2013, Published by Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. Tokyo, JapanA surgical robot realizes the super movement beyond the human operator, and new
way for the surgical operation.

A continuous rotation, a fine movement, and a stable

movement for a long time are applied to the robotic operation.

It is possible for therobot to go behind the tissue, and suture continuously.
Some machines are designed to assist movement or function of the organism.

Themachine compensates the defect of the organism, or substitutes the function of theorganism.
A powered exoskeleton helps human to enlarge the power to sustain a heavy load.
It also supports the movement of the handicapped muscle.
only a nurse, but also a handicapped.

A nursing robot helps not

Machines help the daily activity for the human.

A membrane oxygenator takes oxygen and evacuates carbon dioxide.
the gas exchange of the lung (see 5.3.1).

It assists

A circulatory assist pump conveys the bloodfrom the vein to the artery to help the heart.

1.2 Interdisciplinary field of study
The conventional machine deals macroscopic materials, so that it is designed to behomogeneous and uniform.

The homogeneous material and the steady temperature areapplied during the experiment on the machine.
The organism, on the other hand, has individuality.
every time such as growing or aging.
of organism (Fig. 1.6).

The organism can change

Thus, statistics is useful to describe the behavior

The mean value is calculated, after the same protocol isrepeatedly applied to collect enough number of samples in the study on the organism.

© Shigehiro Hashimoto 2013, Published by Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan

Fig. 1.6: Individuality and homogenization.

The statistic description is also useful to a non-organic objective.

To describe thebehavior of the material in the atomic level in the material, statistics is applied.

Theradiation intensity released from radioactive material per unit time distributes aroundthe mean value.
Idea beyond the barrier is necessary in the multidisciplinary study.
leave the internal way of thinking in a discipline.

You had better

The traditional law disturbs theinnovation.
Technical terms and laws have different definition in each special field of study.
“Control” means adjustment or regulation in engineering.

“Control” means, on theother hand, reference for comparison in biology (Fig. 1.7).
You should observe everything carefully without prejudice, when you learn a new
special field of study.

Learning a new special field of study is similar to learning aforeign language [1]. You need to learn the background of culture, communicate with
the new field.

© Shigehiro Hashimoto 2013, Published by Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan

Fig. 1.7: Control?

Fig. 1.8: Biomedical engineering field.

Biomechanical Engineering is multidisciplinary area, which is connected with
Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Materials, Biology, Medicine, Pharmacology (Fig.
1.8).

You should learn directly each new field, when you challenge to make newbridging field of study.
© Shigehiro Hashimoto 2013, Published by Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan

Think about an artificial heart.

When you focus on the pumping action of theheart, you will design a blood pump.

You apply electric engineering to design theelectric driving system.

Materials are useful to design durability of the parts.

Medicine gives you knowledge of the function of the heart.
The curriculum has not been established for the multidisciplinary field of study.

In

the curriculum of the interdisciplinary study, the relation between subjects is hard to beunderstood for the students.
of a discipline.

The learning story is not easy as a traditional curriculumA new idea, on the other hand, can be created in the trial to connect

disciplines.
In a bridge curriculum, a guide, who experienced multi-disciplines, introduces therelation between subjects (Fig. 1.9) [2].

For example, the principle of themeasurement of the electrocardiogram is lectured in the measurement engineering, andthe physiological and clinical aspects are lectured in the introduction of medicine. The
guide applies the learning experience in the multidisciplinary special fields of study tothe bridge curriculum.
“Biomechanics” is interdisciplinary field of study located between biology andmechanics.

Several multidisciplinary fields of study have been developed.

“Biorheology” is interdisciplinary field of study located between biology and flow.
“Biomaterials” is interdisciplinary field of study located between biology and materials.
“Bioelectronics” is interdisciplinary field of study located between biology andelectronics.
When you are touching another discipline with a curiosity and with a deep insight,
you are going to break through the shell of the traditional field, and to open a new field.

© Shigehiro Hashimoto 2013, Published by Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan

Fig. 1.9: Bridge Curriculum.

Questions

Q 1.1: Classify following into machine and non-machine. Explain the reason.

Paper Airplane，Computer，Optical Microscope，Electron Microscope，Earphones，
A Walking Stick，A Leg Prosthesis，A Bicycle，Stairs，An Escalator，An Illumination，Sensor Light，Printer，Shape Memory Alloy，Biological Cell，Human with an ArtificialOrgan.

Q 1.2: Explain about relation between mechanical engineering and surrounding field.
Explain about interdisciplinary technology with examples.

Q 1.3: Explain about a technical term, which has different meaning.

© Shigehiro Hashimoto 2013, Published by Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan