Biomimicry: Imitating Nature

Biomimicry or biomimetics is simply emulating nature. The natural designs are studied and serve as inspiration in our day-to-day life. Innovation based on nature is the general idea. Here are some ideas that have been inspired by nature: 1. Velcro was invented by Swiss engineer George de Mestral in 1941. The idea occurred to him after examining burrs that were stuck to his dog’s hair. He took a look at these under a microscope and found tiny hooks at the end of the burr needles/spines. And thus was born Velcro, strips of hooked materials that fastened itself to strips of loose nylon. And let’s not forget the famous Velcro jumping sport! 2. Sharkskin swimsuits sprang into prominence with Michael Phelps’ 2008 Summer Olympics winning streak. The sharkskin, under an electron microscope, is seen to be made of overlapping scales which have grooves down their length. The grooves are in alignment with the water flow and help in preventing the formation of turbulent slow swirls of water. This will make the water pass by faster, prevent bacterial growth and reduce drag. The design has been replicated in ship’s hulls, submarines, aircraft fuselage, and even in creating hospital surfaces that resist bacterial growth. But the most famous example is Speedo’s Fastskin FSII swimsuits. 3. Termite dens are pretty comfortable. They are capable of manipulating and maintaining a steady temperature. This concept is used in construction of office spaces- the famous 333,000 square foot Eastgate Centre is testimony to this. The building has large chimneys which draw in cool air at night, reducing the temperature of the floor slabs. The slabs retain their coolness during the day, reducing heating costs. This is known as passive cooling. 4. The bumps on a whale’s fin are instrumental in increasing its efficiency and reducing drag by as much as 32%, while increasing lift by 8%. Whale Power is one such company that has put this knowledge to use in its wind turbine blades and hydroelectric turbine blades, which have bumps called tubercles on the edge, which provides a 20% increase in efficiency. 5. Qualcomm has designed Mirasol Displays based on the shimmering effect of a butterfly’s wing or a peacock’s feather. The principle involved is that of reflected light and the human perception of that reflected light. The display uses an interferometric modulator element in a 2-plate conductive system. The display uses near-zero power for a static image, but offers a refresh rate fast enough for video. 6. The Lotus Effect is the property of the lotus leaf which makes the surface repel dirt, dust particles and causes water to remain as beads and eventually roll off. Under a microscope, you can see protuberances which are responsible for these effects. This ability is mimicked to develop paint which can repel dirt and dust. They can also be used to chemically treat the surface of plastics and metal. This will render windshield wipers useless. 7. The Gecko lizard is pretty sticky! I mean, it just has an amazing adhesive power. The lizard can move very fast across highly smooth surfaces. On studying the gecko’s feet, it was discovered that there are millions of hairs which exert molecular cohesion force onto a surface. The gecko’s feet do not get dirty on detachment- a property that is being looked into by the tape industry; after all, who wouldn’t want a tape that doesn’t get dirty on removal. The gecko’s adhesive powers also work underwater, in vacuum and in zero gravity. This might prove useful for underwater and space station needs. 8. Like the human body that can heal itself of cuts and scraps, scientists are looking to develop self-healing plastics, which can be used to produce things like aircraft fuselage. These can be made from hollow fibers filled with epoxy resin that is released when the fibers suffer stress and cracks. This creates a “scab” that may be nearly as strong as the original material. 9. Artificial photosynthesis is a chemical process that emulates the real process by using sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen for clean fuel. This also uses excess CO2 in the atmosphere.  This could make hydrogen fuel cells efficient, self-charging and less expensive. 10. The Bionic Car developed by Daimler essentially is based on the shape of a tropical boxfish. With this shape, the concept car uses 20% less fuel and shows 80% reduced nitrogen oxide emissions. The car gives 70 miles per gallon, is diesel powered, and can run on biodiesel too. Nature is simple and sustainable! Humans, on the other hand, are only beginning to realize the importance of sustainability. And this is where biomimicry fits in. The knowledge derived from studying the energy efficient systems existing in nature can help our innovations go green, clean and efficient. http://www.cleantick.com/users/divyajeychandren/blogs/biomimicry-imitating-nature