Biology and technology converged in research published in October by a team in the University of New Mexico’s mechanical engineering department. Researchers found potential pathways for technological systems to increase efficiency.
UNM Professor Francesco Sorrentino and doctoral student Amir Nazerian partnered with researchers at the United States Naval Research Laboratory and the University of Genoa to investigate synchronization efficiency.
Synchronization is the process of coordinating multiple parts to operate in unison or in sequence. Something is efficient when it achieves the desired result without wasting resources. Living systems naturally optimize efficiency, Sorrentino said.
Examples of efficient synchronization include neurons firing in the brain and the coordinated flashing of some fireflies, according to Sorrentino.
“The issue of synchronization in nature and in technological systems is an outstanding problem that has attracted so much interest from the research community,” Sorrentino said.
Sorrentino’s research investigated synchronization in technological systems. The research looked into the effect of different strength levels of coupling devices on oscillation synchronization. Oscillation is a type of periodic motion where the system moves back and forth through a point of equilibrium. A coupling is a mechanical device that connects shafts in machines to transmit power, according to Fractory.com.
The research found that in different parts of an oscillation, synchronization was possible across a range of coupling strengths.
Different stages of oscillation have different needs, according to Sorrentino.
For example, imagine a clock, which is an oscillating system. As this clock goes through the hours of the day, there are certain times that are more difficult to sync than others, Sorrentino said.
“We can exploit that to our advantage,” Sorrentino said. “But we have to understand that not all the hours of the clock are the same. They have different dynamical properties. So if we understand that, then we can produce an efficient synchronization strategy.”
This helped the researchers find that efficiency in technology can be increased by using coupling only when necessary, according to the published paper.
This research has shown a potential pathway to improve efficiency. The next step is to find out if biological systems work this way too, according to Sorrentino.
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“My hope is that we will discover that actually biological systems use (these strategies) to their advantage,” Sorrentino said. “I am hopeful that we will observe these efficient techniques, these efficient strategies, just by observation of biological systems.”
In order to do this, the team needs a collaborator in biology who has access to biological data, Sorrentino said.
Arly Garcia is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
