Study of the design principles of living organisms and their application to machines.
Design and development of electronic or mechanical artificial systems that imitate those of living things. The bionic arm, for example, is an artificial limb (prosthesis) that uses electronics to amplify minute electrical signals generated in body muscles to work electric motors, which operate the joints of the fingers and wrist.
The first person to receive two bionic ears was Peter Stewart, an Australian journalist, 1989. His left ear was fitted with an array of 22 electrodes, replacing the hairs that naturally convert sounds into electrical impulses. Five years previously he had been fitted with a similar device in his right ear.
The study of living organisms, their characteristics, and the ways they function, with a view toward creating hardware that can simulate or duplicate the activities of a biological system. See also cybernetics.
Application of biological principles to the study and design of engineering systems (especially electronic systems).