Back to results
US 12,575,478 B2Granted
Methods and devices for biomimetic hygromorphic composite
AssigneeCarnegie Mellon University
InventorsLining Yao, Danli Luo, Jianzhe Gu, Fang Qin, Guanyun Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention comprises an artificial seed device, a drilling process for the artificial seed device and a fabrication method for the artificial seed device.
Claims17
An artificial seed device configured to self-drill into a substrate for transport of a payload, the device comprising:
- a body, comprising wood, that coils and uncoils in response to changes in humidity;
- a tip attached at a first end of the body;
- at least one tail attached at a second end of the body;
- and
- a payload attached to or incorporated into at least one of the body, the tip and the at least one tail.
2 more elements
A method of implementation of a self-drilling device for transport of a payload, the method comprising:
- selection of at least one artificial device, the device comprising:
- a body, comprising wood, having a first end and a second end, wherein the body coils and uncoils in response to changes in humidity and the body is configured to generate a downward thrust force while coiling and uncoiling to drill the device into a crevice in a substrate;
- a rigid and pointed tip attached at the first end of the body;
- and
- at least one tail attached at the second end of the body, with the tail curved to provide support against the substrate to facilitate drilling;
- distributing the device onto the substrate in an environment having varying humidity, whereby, in response to changes in humidity, the coiling and uncoiling of device causes the device to:
- search for a crevice in the substrate;
- locate the crevice;
- drill the device into the crevice;
- and
- establish the device in the crevice.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.