What is biomimicry and what are the main benefits?
In: Biology
Biomimicry is a design technique where designers look at living organisms for inspiration on how to accomplish a task that’s already been done by nature. Generally speaking, nature has been optimizing things for millions of years (although the number varies) and has come up with some really nifty solutions that we can try to replicate. We’ve made self sharpening knives based on sea urchin teeth and more hydrodynamic surface based on shark skin. One of the biggest advances is AI. Modern AI are based on the same operating principle as brains (neural networks) and more niche ones have been designed around hive insects (like ants and bees), immune systems, and evolution.
I suppose you’re referring to the evolutionary biology phenomenon.
Organisms often evolve to mimic other objects or organisms in appearance or other apparent traits to protect themselves. For example, an insect may evolve to look like a small tree branch, now it’s well camouflaged and can’t be easily seen by predators. A plant may be really nutritious for animals, so they keep eating it or stepping on it and so on, but another plant in the habitat may be poisonous and the animals avoid it, so the first plant may evolve to look like the second, so animals leave it alone and let it survive. Some extend the definition of mimicry beyond appearance, like with those releasing odors reminiscent of dead and decomposing organisms, which attracts insects that then may either facilitate carrying seeds or even get digested by the plant as a food source. This phenomenon is quite common in insects but it’s seen across many types of species too. It’s just evolution.
Nature has already solved a lot of really complex problems. Biomimicry tries to recreate those solutions with technology.
Some examples I found because I’m too lazy to write better ones:
1. Climbing pads capable of supporting human weight are a mimic of the biomechanics of gecko feet.
2. The aerodynamics of the famous Japanese Bullet train was inspired by the shape of a bird’s beak.
3. The first flying machine heavier than the air from the Wright brothers, in 1903, was inspired by flying pigeons.
4. Architecture is inspired by termite mounds to design passive cooling structures.
5. Velcro is born from the observation of the hooks implemented by some plants for the propagation of their seeds via animal’s coat.
6. The study of shark skin is at the origin of particularly effective swimming suits, as well as a varnish for planes fuselage
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