Insects and Bioinspiration: Learning from Cicadas and Honey bees - College of Engineering - Purdue University

Project Description

Insects have developed innovative and robust mechanisms for achieving functionality in complex and often extreme environments. An understanding of the mechanics of structural and functional phenomena is required in order to use these as inspiration in creating novel engineering structures. Such an approach necessitates an interdisciplinary approach at the intersection of materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, and entomology.

In this project the Gilbreth fellow will be co-advice by Nik Chawla (MSE, James Gibert (ME), and Brock Harpur (Entomology) to study the behavior of insects such as Cicadas and honeybees. The cicada project will encompass a cross displinary program that fuses materials characterization and 3D imaging with nonlinear finite-element analysis (FEA) to uncover how natural microstructures form and function. We will acquire high-resolution micro-CT volumes (with digital segmentation of ribs, membrane, and attachment regions), LDV/high-speed imaging for operational dynamics, and mechanical property maps via DMA/nanoindentation to parameterize visco-hyperelastic material models (e.g., Ogden + Prony). These data will feed a rib-explicit, geometrically nonlinear FEA that captures snap-through, traveling-wave actuation, and acoustic band formation; parameters will be identified through inverse calibration against measured spectra and surface kinematics.

Honey bee comb is a remarkable structure that serves simultaneously as storage, nursery, communication platform, and climate regulator. This project seeks to understand the mechanisms by which comb is constructed, maintained, and used by colonies. Comb is built from beeswax secreted by workers, and its precise hexagonal pattern reflects both individual behavior and collective decision-making. Yet, how bees coordinate construction at large scales, particularly in irregular spaces or after damage, remains poorly understood. We aim to study how bees detect disruptions, decide whether to repair or rebuild, and allocate workers to those tasks. Comb repair provides insight into colony-level problem solving and resilience. We will apply the same pipeline to honeycomb-based natural architectures, enabling a comparative “structure, process, property, function” framework across insects and cellular solids. Expected outcomes include: (I) a validated digital twin of the tymbal that predicts spectral content under morphological or material perturbations; (II) transferrable design rules for architected, multistable metastructures; and (III) an open, well-annotated dataset and codebase to accelerate bio-inspired materials discovery. This effort leverages complementary strengths in imaging, characterization, and nonlinear dynamics to translate biological principles into predictive, engineering-grade models.

Start Date

January 2026

Postdoc Qualifications

Co-advisors

Bibliography