Biomimetic file 204: Feedbacks

Why the implementation of feedback loops is important to manage project risks

Image NASA. “Anthropic response as a positive feedback to the global change phenomenon is one to worry about” …Feedback*: in biology, a response within a system (molecule, cell, organism, or population) that influences the continued activity or productivity of that system. In essence, it is the control of a biological reaction by the end products of that reaction.

Highlight: “Researchers at MIT have introduced a novel Balance Feedback *Interface (BFI) that addresses the problem of bilateral feedback for tele-operation of humanoid robots…by studying various feedback response processes found in natural systems including in the human body, the team was able to model complex bilateral communications between machine and operator…the result is a humanoid robot with precision and sensitivity beyond anything achieved to date…applications include distance tele-operated surgery”

Insight: Many natural processes are not as static as they seem but are in fact dynamic systems which have reached equilibrium that require continuous adjustments to surrounding conditions. Basically there are two types of feedbacks: positive ones would improve a given process while negative feedbacks would alter it. A good example of that is the climate system (I have previously posted specifically on this aspect here).

Doing business is no different than certain natural cycle functions in that it needs constant adjustments to adapt to ongoing changes. When implementing processes or change strategies, it is of primary importance to concurrently develop effective feedback mechanisms in order to monitor the evolution of the changes.

While it may seem common sense, too often projects are successfully implemented but fail overtime because no adequate feedback mechanisms have been put in place. A process without its adequate control tools is not easily manageable. For instance it is not conceivable to develop a website these days without a proper associated Content Management System (CMS), and similarly the same system/system control approach should apply to any sizable project. Obvious direct benefits include:

• Being able to monitor the evolution;
• Being able to react in time based on those information;
• Keeping performance records;
• Due diligence.

Are you planning to implement change in the form of a new project? If so remember to concurrently develop a feedback monitoring platform which will allow to keep track and adjust…

More information here

What is Biomimetics: the field of gaining inspiration from nature first to solve some of our most difficult challenges. Instead of coming up with our own solutions to a problematic, the odds are that species or natural systems on the planet already offer an ultimate solution. This simple fact is also another strong case to preserve species at all cost as the intellectual heritage contained within or through the study of species is both irreplaceable and invaluable…

http://www.bluestrike-group.com/

Biomimetic file 195: The Great Migrations

How Mobility and Flexibility will Define Future Leading Businesses

Image Source: BirdLife International

Highlight: “Nowadays, stress has become an integral part of our day-to-day life and hence everyone of us has to face it in one way or another. The stress is created by various factors known as stressors… They may be, environmental, physiological, social or cognitive…A critical study of the behaviors of some long-migrating birds provides some basic principles involved in the successful management of stress… Researchers have identified the basic principles as: 1. Principle of avoidance, 2. Principle of adaptation and 3. Principle of acceptance…”

Insight: Many species live a nomadic lifestyle constantly adapting to changing environments and moving with resources availability. In a similar way, businesses will increasingly be required to be mobile and adaptable in order to keep-up with the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the global economic landscape.

The traditional business settings which have prevailed most of the 20th century are becoming obsolete. That is the type of businesses with well established and preset employee behaviors as well as expensive fixed facilities and office spaces. Instead, the new leaders are quickly arising as enterprises with a mobile workforce and open mindset on employees geography and work arrangements.

There are many roles out there (especially anything to do with some type of consulting) which only require employees to hold a laptop computer and be constantly on the move and available. After all we live in the era of long distance communications where many new options have become possible and efficient. All is required is strong self discipline and trust between employers and employees.

A simple yet robust framework can be set:

1. Set up a client work plan involving clear deliverables and deadlines;
2. Always submit work on time and within the expected standards (or else be subject to disciplinary actions: a) a verbal warning, b) a written warning c) dismissal from the company);
3. Make yourself available for face to face meetings when required and given a reasonable notice;
4. Keep people you need in the loop (e.g. your employer/clients) on communications such as email exchanges ;
5. all others, up to you and following a “that is not my problem” mindset, whether the work is done in a library, at the beach, at a cafe or from home, as long as rule 2 is stringently met…

Too many companies (including large corporations) have gotten their priorities wrong still strongly stuck with hold fashion concepts such as the belief that staying in an office from 8am to 6pm daily is synonymous with productivity (this is especially apparent in Asia) ! A number of successful startups are already applying “new age”  frameworks but few if any have really applied the concept to its full potential. An obvious limitation is that many people still require the comfort of an office or are in desperate need of social interactions; so offering a choice to talented employees between a small smart office setting or a fully flexible work plan is still advised.

Are you planning to set up a business? If so perhaps consider a next generation business model described above, you may be surprised of the outcome. However in the end, regardless of new or old business models, success comes down to the trust (it can only be confirmed with time) you put in the people you hire and their ability to deliver; make smart choices..

More information here

What is Biomimetics: the field of gaining inspiration from nature first to solve some of our most difficult challenges. Instead of coming up with our own solutions to a problematic, the odds are that species or natural systems on the planet already offer an ultimate solution. This simple fact is also another strong case to preserve species at all cost as the intellectual heritage contained within or through the study of species is both irreplaceable and invaluable…

http://www.bluestrike-group.com/

Biomimetic file 194: Gauss Curves

How an understanding of Gaussian distribution can benefit business strategies

Picture: a typical normal distribution: A normal distribution is an arrangement of a data set in which most values cluster in the middle of the range and the rest taper off symmetrically toward either extreme.

Highlight: “Researchers have recently taken visual solutions present in nature to incorporate them in a computer algorithm that radically improves the quality of sequences collected in dim light…This was made possible by studying nocturnal insects which are uniquely adapted to a life in dim light..these adaptations were discovered by recording the responses of photo-receptors to Gaussian-distributed white noise light stimuli in nocturnal insects…”

Insight: In nature many systems follow Gaussian distributions. It is one of the best mathematical representations (along perhaps with exponential growth) to describe the behaviors of natural systems. Factors such as populations dynamics, follow such patterns.

Gaussian distributions go beyond natural systems and are also a good assumption to many phenomenons which involve large amounts of data. In business for instance, the behavior of consumers towards a particular product or marketing campaigns outcomes would typically follow Gaussian distributions.

While there are many statistical tools that can be used to make assumptions with various degrees of certitude, keeping in mind the easy to visualize bell shaped curve can really help to forge robust business strategies through realistic risk management in anticipation of failure rates.

Basically what it hints is that in an outcome involving large numbers, the  majority would be spread around the mean while a narrow few would go towards the extremes which in this case would be defined as failure or success; In other words the probability of a very successful/unsuccessful outcome will be small while average outcomes would be largely predominant…

Are you working on a plan that involves large numbers? If so, perhaps verify if the distribution would be favorable for Gaussian outcomes (there are statistical tools to help making this assumption) and anticipate accordingly. Keeping in mind the Gaussian distribution, one success strategy is to aim for the largest possible numbers (e.g potential customers) in order to maximize the chances of successful outcomes…

More information here

What is Biomimetics: the field of gaining inspiration from nature first to solve some of our most difficult challenges. Instead of coming up with our own solutions to a problematic, the odds are that species or natural systems on the planet already offer an ultimate solution. This simple fact is also another strong case to preserve species at all cost as the intellectual heritage contained within or through the study of species is both irreplaceable and invaluable…

http://www.bluestrike-group.com/

Biomimetic file 192: Anger Management

How containing frustration is key to ones business integrity

Image source: creative commons

Highlight: “Octopuses are widely admired for their intelligence, their skill as escape artists, and their extraordinary ability to camouflage themselves…Materials scientists are also taken by the adhesive properties of their tentacles. By controlling the pressure in their suckers, the Cephalopods can rapidly grab onto and then release themselves from just about any surface they come across as they make their way along the ocean floor…researchers at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea have made octopus-inspired adhesives…the adhesives can be used in the transfer printing of nanomaterials to make flexible electronics and compound-semiconductor devices on silicon…”

Insight: The common octopus when in sense of danger has a rather drastic reaction, it releases an ink like substance that allows it to escape quickly while temporarily blinding its surrounding occupants. On the other end other octopus species adopt a very different strategy by mimicking (skin colors/patterns and behaviors) their environment in order to blend in…

These two very different cases of stress adaptations within the Cephalopods provide inspiration to yet another key business philosophy. While we all once in a while face situations where we feel like a quick escape, in business that is rarely a good idea. Indeed, containing ones frustrations is a key asset that will allow to overcome most situations. As a matter of fact in the business world frustrations and challenges are omnipresent and learning to contain and hide negative emotions can only be beneficial in the short and long term. Blending, in order to  escape smoothly, is a rather good strategy even if it means to temporarily accept situations that go against ones beliefs…

Are you facing difficulties at work and feel frustrated to the point of “slapping the door” ? If so perhaps adopt the strategy of a mimic octopus rather than that of a short tempered ink escapee!

More information here

What is Biomimetics: the field of gaining inspiration from nature first to solve some of our most difficult challenges. Instead of coming up with our own solutions to a problematic, the odds are that species or natural systems on the planet already offer an ultimate solution. This simple fact is also another strong case to preserve species at all cost as the intellectual heritage contained within or through the study of species is both irreplaceable and invaluable…

http://www.bluestrike-group.com/

 

 

Biomimetic file 187: Dance of the Honeybee

Why communications are crucially important to business health

Image source: emperion.net

Highlight: “The honeybee dance communication system is one of the most intriguing examples of information transfer in the animal kingdom…After returning from a valuable food source honeybee foragers move vigorously, in a highly stereotypical pattern, on the comb surface conveying polar coordinates of the field site…After 60 years of intense research it remains still unknown how the bees decode the dance… To resolve this question a team of researchers have built a robotic honeybee that is able to reproduce all stimuli found to be generated in the dance… By imitating single stimuli or combinations and tracking the bees’ ensuing behavior they were able to identify essential signals in the communication process…”

Insight: What social insects can teach us is that body language and patterns can be greatly effective at communicating even complex issues but that both parties need to clearly understand the language rules.

Miss-communications in business is common and responsible for tremendous income losses through mistakes and resulting poor performance. These miscommunications range from language barriers to inter-department jargon (e.g. engineers communicating with accountants), sign languages misunderstandings or simply overall poor language skills…

Some sectors are rather stringent about their communications skills: for instance an airplane pilot misunderstanding the ground staff is not an option (and vise versa) as is a columnist journalist misspelling some words. However, this is not always the norm and many companies do not put as much emphasis as they should on their employees’ communication skills (even for staff holding key positions) which reflects rather poorly on their performance as a business entity.

Are you planning to hire? If so, perhaps do not omit to investigate communication skills. In today’s interconnected world the ability to communicate effectively is definitely one of the most important skills one can have.

More information here

What is Biomimetics: the field of gaining inspiration from nature first to solve some of our most difficult challenges. Instead of coming up with our own solutions to a problematic, the odds are that species or natural systems on the planet already offer an ultimate solution. This simple fact is also another strong case to preserve species at all cost as the intellectual heritage contained within or through the study of species is both irreplaceable and invaluable…

http://www.bluestrike-group.com/

Biomimetic file 120: harvesting energy from body artery pressure!

How to capture inner-corporate power

Photo credit: Naomi Kizhner. As blood is pumped out of the left ventricle into the aorta and distributing arteries, pressure is generated.  The mean arterial pressure (MAP) is determined by the cardiac output (CO), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and central venous pressure (CVP) according to the following relationship, which is based upon the relationship between flow, pressure and resistance: Eq. 1: MAP = (CO × SVR) + CVP

highlight: “Naomi Kizhner, an industrial designer and graduate student from Hadassah College in Jerusalem, has designed jewelry that theoretically extracts energy from the wearers own body. The ‘speculative’ jewelry is embedded into the person’s veins and uses their blood to turn small wheels inside the device… ”

Insight: I wouldn’t actually categorize this as a good example of biomimicry as it is more a combination of technology with biological systems, however the idea is very interesting and could be developed to utilize bio-mimicry principles for instance by studying artery patterns of selected species in order to maximize the efficiency.

The idea to produce energy using our own body is a fantastic one; Indeed our body generates non-negligible amounts of energy should it be through normal motion (e.g. walking or simple regular body movements) or internal organ systems. This energy is simply wasted when in fact it could be re-captured and utilized to power small devices like smart phones or even bigger machines. Sufficient energy could be produced using efficient and well designed micro-turbines connected to our arteries. Perhaps adapting the technology to make it smaller and hidden below the skin as an implant like a heart control battery could be the start of a revolution of human body powered systems?

The above point of exploiting inner body power is inspirational as a business philosophy. We often hear that employees are a corporations most valuable asset but few company’s actually seem to understand that. Indeed, employees are not only an asset to individually deliver the tasks they were employed to do but as a team, the workforce within corporation is a powerful source of innovation in itself should the direction know how to get the best out of it.

Lets illustrate the above point with the following case study: a Tech company is faced with an important problem, they are trying to reach out to a younger market for one of their latest products which translates a piece of text into an emotion (e.g. “the writer of this text is happy”) based on the analysis of punctuation, text structures and other indicators. While well received by the business sector, so far the initiative has failed to reach the youngster considered a big market. After failing to gain much insight from outsourcing strategies, the management decides to turn back to their own company and capture ideas from their many talents. The problem is thrown to the workforce as a challenge inciting employees to act as small teams (no ore than 5 people) and to provide practical solutions on how to reach the market. The response is overwhelming and over 15 teams are created. After three months the company starts judging the entries through a first round of selection based on documents submissions followed by a second round of presentations for the finalists. One of the team comes up with a great App idea that brings the system to the hands of youngsters using an appropriate display that can also be used with instant messaging applications. The team is well rewarded and the company takes the opportunity to remind the workforce of their value to the company….

Are you faced with a problem you don’t feel has reached a satisfactory solution through outsourcing? If so, perhaps consider tapping onto your own workforce as well, even if the scope does not fall within the normal operational tasks, you may be surprised of the outcome and it is a great way to connect and motivate…

More information: here 

What is Biomimetics: the field of gaining inspiration from nature first to solve some of our most difficult challenges. Instead of coming up with our own solutions to a problematic, the odds are that species or natural systems on the planet already offer an ultimate solution. This simple fact is also another strong case to preserve species at all cost as the intellectual heritage contained within or through the study of species is both irreplaceable and invaluable…

http://www.bluestrike-group.com/