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Biomimetics is the field dedicated to finding inspiration from nature to address technological challenges. Biomimetic inventions are part of your daily life. For instance, Velcro was created after George de Mestral observed how burrs clung to his dog’s fur with tiny hooks. While Velcro is no longer surprising, similar processes have recently led to the creation of groundbreaking technologies.
10. UltraCane
Ultrasound, as used by bats in nature to locate prey, is quite simple: they emit sound waves and calculate how long it takes for the echo to bounce back. Knowing the speed of the sound waves, they can determine the distance to an obstacle. Bats do this instinctively, while humans still lack this ability.
Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK turned to bats for inspiration in developing an ultrasonic cane for blind individuals. The concept was simple, but what they didn’t expect was how the human brain adapted to the new sense. The cane emits ultrasonic signals, measures the time for the echoes to return, and translates the data into vibrations in the handle. As objects approach, the vibrations intensify.
During testing, researchers found that the brains of participants quickly accepted the new input and began creating a new form of spatial awareness based solely on the vibrations felt in their palms. Over time, the participants stopped consciously sensing the vibrations and instead built an immediate mental map of their surroundings, bypassing the need for conscious interpretation in favor of a more direct understanding.
9. Swarm Robotics
Harvard isn’t the only research institute working to give robots the ability to communicate and learn from each other. The New Jersey Institute of Technology is also creating a swarm of robots with a hive mentality, and they’ve already succeeded. Modeled after ant colony behavior, the robots can pick up on the actions of others and follow suit—no programming necessary.
The robots don’t resemble ants—they look more like futuristic ice cubes—but each is equipped with two light sensors that mimic an ant’s antennae, picking up light trails. Individually, the robots are simple—they can only move forward and detect light. Each robot is tracked by a projector that leaves light spots on their path, like breadcrumbs, and each time a robot crosses another's path, the lights brighten.
At the start of the experiment, the robots were moving in random, chaotic directions. By the end, they aligned into a formation following a single path. Like ants, they don’t consciously decide what to do; it’s all governed by a core program that prompts them to follow a specific signal. For ants, the signal is a pheromone trail; for swarm robots, it’s light.
8. Self-Cleaning Paint
Not all innovations in biomimicry involve robots. In fact, most don't; robots are just more captivating to discuss. One of the most fascinating biomimetic inventions in recent years, however, is paint inspired by the lotus flower’s leaves.
Lotus leaves may appear smooth, but under a microscope, they're covered in millions of tiny spikes. These spikes repel dirt and water by reducing the leaf’s surface area, causing water to simply roll off as there’s not enough contact to create attraction. Inspired by this, a German company developed a paint with a complex microstructure designed to prevent substances from adhering to it. Under a microscope, the dried paint resembles a surreal landscape dotted with sculptures.
Dirt particles can still become lodged in the protrusions, but even the smallest splash of water can dislodge them. Essentially, the paint is self-cleaning. Much like the lotus leaf, water slides right off. NASA is also applying this idea to develop a coating for spacesuits and rovers to prevent bacteria from hitchhiking into space.
7. Multifaceted Cameras
With a microscope, plenty of time, and a lazy fly, you could count each of the 28,000 individual facets in a housefly’s compound eyes. Each facet has its own lens and light-sensing nerve. Compound eyes are one of nature’s wonders: They allow insects to see up to 180 degrees around them and perceive depth in ways that humans can only imagine.
Building on this concept, researchers at the University of Illinois created a multifaceted camera with 180 lenses, each connected to a separate photodetector. The lens array is mounted on a flexible rubber mat, which is then shaped into a hemisphere. The data from all the lenses is merged into a single image, so you’re seeing a standard picture rather than a series of screens. And the entire system—lenses and electronics—measures just a centimeter (.4 in) across.
The team’s objective is to use these cameras for aerial surveillance with robotic drones. However, even a stationary version of the camera would be a huge leap forward compared to existing technology. By placing two of these “bug eyes” back to back, you get a full 360-degree view. They’re currently developing a new version that doubles the lens count.
6. Shark Skin Coatings
When Michael Phelps won six gold medals at the 2004 Olympics, he wore a swimsuit called Fastskin, designed by Speedo. Fastskin is covered in tiny bumps that mimic the skin of a shark. Although the swimsuit has been banned and labeled ineffective in some circles, the concept of using shark skin as a model for high-tech materials is far from over.
A shark's skin is covered with overlapping scales known as denticles. These denticles resemble microscopic teeth and face backward. When a shark swims, the forward-facing edges of the denticles create small vortices that essentially propel the shark forward, enhancing its speed. Additionally, their flexible nature prevents other organisms, like algae and barnacles, from attaching to the shark. This is why whales are often found covered in barnacles, while sharks remain free of them.
The US Navy is exploring the use of shark skin-inspired coatings for their submarines. This would not only increase their speed but also help keep mussels and barnacles from accumulating on their hulls, which currently costs $50 million annually to clean. Hospitals are also adopting similar technology: a material called Sharklet is being used on door handles in California hospitals to prevent pathogens such as E. coli from forming colonies. The key advantage is that, unlike chemical repellents, bacteria can't develop resistance to it.
5. SCRATCHBot
The quest to experience the world in new ways has always been inspired by the animal kingdom. Scientists at the University of Sheffield have created a robot that mimics a rat, designed to explore a sensory world humans will never know: whiskers. Named SCRATCHBot, the robot's sole function is to serve as a platform for advanced synthetic whiskers and a brain capable of processing and utilizing the data they collect.
As nocturnal creatures, rats primarily rely on their whiskers for navigation rather than their vision. To replicate these whiskers, researchers used fiberglass rods embedded with Hall effect sensors, which detect voltage changes caused by a magnetic field. Small magnets within the whiskers generate this field, and when the whiskers touch something, the sensors record the voltage shift from the magnets’ movement. This enables SCRATCHBot to 'sense' objects using its whiskers.
The 'brain' of the rat-inspired robot is a PC-based neural model that receives input from the whiskers, processes the information, and sends commands to the robot’s legs (e.g., turn left or right). The design is inspired by a simple rat, lacking a sophisticated cortex but still capable of performing basic motor functions.
4. Organic Solar Cells
Dye-sensitized solar cells capture solar energy using a special dye. When sunlight strikes the dye, its molecules react, generating electricity. While these solar cells are more affordable than silicon-based ones, they face a major issue: the dye deteriorates quickly, rendering the cells ineffective and leaving behind just a useless piece of plastic.
The process behind the dye in solar cells closely mirrors the natural photosynthesis found in plants, where sunlight is converted into energy. Researchers at North Carolina State University investigated houseplants to uncover what made them unique. The result was a solar cell designed with an internal vascular system that circulates dye through a branched network of veins. When the dye breaks down and no longer generates electricity, it is replaced by a fresh supply, similar to how a plant delivers nutrients to its leaves.
3. Parasitic Skin Grafts
The parasite Pomphorhynchus laevis has inspired medical researchers with its head full of spikes that punctures the intestines of its host. It then inflates its body to anchor itself inside. This odd creature’s mechanism has led to the creation of an innovative skin graft technology. Traditional skin grafts are often held in place by staples, which come with a high risk of infection.
This new biomimetic skin graft mimics the parasite’s method, utilizing microneedles that expand when exposed to water. The needles insert easily into the skin, then expand like a balloon to secure the graft. Unlike staples, which tear the surrounding tissue, these microneedles push the tissue aside without causing damage, providing a safer, more effective solution.
2. Self-Healing Circuits
Integrated circuit chips are fundamental components of nearly all electronic devices today. Despite their tiny size, many of these chips contain millions of transistors packed onto a surface smaller than a nail’s head. If a single component fails, the whole chip becomes useless. But what if your phone or computer could repair itself like the immune system fending off an infection? This may soon be a reality.
Engineers at the California Institute of Technology have developed “indestructible circuits.” In an experiment, they placed one under a microscope, melted it with a laser, and watched as the chip found a way to continue working. These chips are so small that you would need about 75 of them to cover the surface of a penny. Along with the essential circuitry, each chip has sensors and an onboard processor that detects damage and determines how to restore its function.
The team has tested numerous chips equipped with this self-healing technology, and no matter which part of the chip is damaged, it always finds a way to reroute its processes in less than a second. Unlike the human immune system, it’s not pre-programmed to deal with specific threats; it evaluates the damage and takes the necessary steps to recover. Now, the only task left is to locate John Connor.
1. The T8 SpiderBot
If spiders are the stuff of nightmares, then the T8 Octopod Robot is a nightmare with a price tag. For years, roboticists have attempted to replicate the design of a spider. With eight legs, the robot gains an extraordinary level of stability, which is ideal for search-and-rescue operations in disaster zones. While spider-like robots have existed before, the challenge has always been creating a system where all eight legs can move in harmony while still maintaining the flexibility to move independently when necessary.
The T8 Octopod Robot features an innovative movement engine designed to tackle this challenge. Controlled remotely, it processes a single command that calculates leg trajectory, motor control, and inverse kinematics, coordinating its 26 motors. The result is a machine that is almost too lifelike.
