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As humans, we've accomplished some truly extraordinary feats: towering skyscrapers, venturing into space, diving into the depths of the ocean, and, of course, Dilbert comics, just to name a few. Despite our ingenuity, there's still so much we can learn from our fellow creatures on Earth. From plants to animals, nature constantly shows us remarkable engineering feats.
Biomimicry involves designing structures, materials, and systems inspired by biological units and processes. We've previously shared examples of technologies inspired by animals. Now, here are ten more ways nature has taught us to create cutting-edge technologies.
10. Sharkskin and Air Travel
Sharks are the stars of many spine-chilling tales, and with good reason—they are among nature's most efficient predators. Their hydrodynamic skin plays a big part in their speed and agility. The surface of a shark's skin is covered in tiny, tooth-like structures called dermal denticles, or placoid scales. These denticles feature grooves that help channel water, reducing drag and allowing the shark to glide effortlessly through the ocean.
The perfect design of sharkskin has inspired many “Aha” moments among inventors. A brilliant example comes from three scientists at the Fraunhofer Society, a German research institute. They created a special paint after closely studying sharkskin. When this paint is applied to a special stencil and brushed onto the surface of airplanes, it mimics the structure of sharkskin, reducing drag. According to the researchers, if every airplane on Earth used this paint, it could save as much as 4.48 million tons of fuel annually.
9. Schools of Fish and Wind Farms
It’s truly mesmerizing to watch a school of fish move in perfect synchronization through the water. They maintain their unity, even when making sharp turns. One theory behind this behavior is that the fish in a school align themselves with the flow patterns of those around them, effectively conserving energy.
At Caltech, a team led by Professor John Dabiri developed vertical wind turbines based on this concept. When grouped together, these turbines become more energy-efficient, taking advantage of the air currents produced by neighboring turbines. The outcome is a system of wind turbines that outperforms traditional windmills. Similar research from Stanford, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Delaware supports these findings.
8. Humpback Whales and Turbine Blades
Nature has even more to teach us about optimizing wind power, as demonstrated by the humpback whale. Both humpback whales and wind turbines reduce drag on their surfaces to improve efficiency. The whale achieves this with bumps along its fins, known as tubercles. These tubercles help the whale move with minimal drag, which is essential when it’s searching for food.
This design translates well to wind turbines. Professor Frank Fish from West Chester University and his team created a turbine blade featuring tubercles. The resulting design performed so well that it was even able to capture wind in low-wind areas. Fish is the president of Whalepower, a Canada-based company dedicated to advancing turbine and fan designs based on this research.
7. Geckos and Power Adhesive
Let’s be honest: at some point, you’ve probably envied geckos for their ability to scale walls effortlessly. The secret behind the wall-climbing lizard had baffled researchers for centuries, but it was finally uncovered in 2002. Researchers found that millions of tiny hairs, called setae, on the gecko’s feet enable it to generate weak electrostatic forces known as van der Waals forces.
While there have been numerous proposed uses for this natural phenomenon, one standout success is Geckskin. Three ambitious graduates from the University of Massachusetts Amherst developed this reusable super adhesive based on the gecko’s foot mechanics. The material can hold up to 317 kilograms (700 lb) on a smooth surface. Since its launch, Geckskin has earned praise from organizations and media outlets such as CNN, Bloomberg, and The Guardian (the latter called it “flypaper for elephants”).
6. Bats and SmartCanes
Bats are well-known for their ability to navigate in complete darkness, a skill they achieve through echolocation. By emitting high-pitched sonar frequencies, bats can detect objects in their path by the sound waves that bounce back from these obstacles.
A team from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, India, took inspiration from bats to revolutionize the traditional white cane used by blind individuals. Their innovation led to the creation of the SmartCane. This device emits sonar-like signals, similar to a bat's echolocation, to detect obstacles. It attaches to a standard white cane, and when the sound waves return, the device vibrates, alerting the user to avoid the object.
While similar technologies like the Ultracane already exist, the SmartCane's creators aimed to develop a product that is both effective and affordable. Priced at around $50, the SmartCane offers a budget-friendly alternative to the $1,000 Ultracane.
5. Beetles and Water Harvesting
Finding efficient methods to harvest water has been one of the greatest challenges in modern engineering. Water is such a precious resource, it’s astonishing to think that any organism could extract it from thin air. Yet, the Stenocara gracilipes beetle is capable of just that.
This beetle hails from the Namib Desert along the southwestern coast of Africa, one of the hottest and harshest environments on the planet. When the wind brings fog from the ocean, tiny droplets of water gather on the beetle’s back, which is covered with glass-like bumps. These droplets then flow down small channels directly to the beetle’s mouth. This mechanism is vital for its survival, as the fog only appears about six times a month.
Researchers have made several attempts to replicate this water-harvesting ability. For example, in 2001, the British Ministry of Defense explored creating tents and roofing materials capable of collecting water in arid areas. A company named NBD Nano was also inspired by the beetle. Founded by four graduates with backgrounds in biology, organic chemistry, and mechanical engineering, NBD Nano is working on a self-filling water bottle modeled after the beetle’s shell. As of 2012, they were in the process of producing a prototype for the market.
4. Sea Sponges and Solar Panels
At first sight, the orange puffball sponge might not appear to offer much. What else could it be used for, aside from being a trendy bath accessory? Surprisingly, these simple invertebrates have an intriguing ability to extract silicon from seawater and utilize it to form their spongy structures. This process could offer a potential solution for creating more affordable and environmentally-friendly solar panels.
Typically, solar panels are made by applying chemicals to a surface to form a thin crystalline layer, which acts as a semiconductor that generates electricity when exposed to sunlight. The process involves high temperatures and low pressures, making it both energy-intensive and costly.
Daniel Morse and his team at the University of California Santa Barbara found a way to mimic the orange puffball sponge’s method of producing silicon without the need for extreme temperatures and low pressure. The sponge achieves this feat using an enzyme called silicatein, which converts silicic acid from seawater into silica structures.
By substituting liquid zinc nitrate for seawater and ammonia for silicatein, the team successfully replicated the sponge’s natural process and applied it to solar cells. While the technique requires further refinement, it shows great potential for making solar energy more affordable and accessible to all.
3. Termites and Sustainable Architecture
An extraordinary natural wonder found across Africa is the impressive termite mound. Constructed entirely from earth, these towering structures house enormous termite colonies. But their greatness doesn’t stop there—these mounds feature an ingenious system for regulating temperature and ventilation. For example, the mounds are typically aligned along a north-south axis, allowing them to absorb heat during the cooler hours of the day while minimizing exposure during the peak heat. Inside, termites control a network of vents to manage the warm air rising from the base. Pretty remarkable, don't you think?
Engineers around the globe have taken cues from termite mound designs and applied them to human-built structures. One notable example is the Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe, the largest shopping and office complex in the country. Inspired by termite mounds, the building doesn’t rely on traditional heating or cooling systems. Instead, it uses a passive system of fans and vents to maintain comfortable temperatures all year round. Designed by architect Mick Pierce, who also designed a similar structure in Melbourne, Australia, the Eastgate Centre is a true testament to green architecture.
2. Butterflies and Anti-Glare Technology
Butterflies have long been a source of inspiration for visual technologies, so it's no surprise that the key to tackling glare on mobile phone screens could be hidden in the delicate wings of these beautiful insects. In 2015, researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany made an unexpected breakthrough: They discovered that irregular, nanoscopic structures on the wings of the glasswing butterfly are responsible for eliminating most reflected light. Their findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.
Research into applying this technology to mobile device screens is ongoing. If successful, we may finally say goodbye to the frustration of trying to read your phone in bright outdoor light.
1. Wood Wasps and Space Drills
Tools designed for use in outer space often face similar challenges: they're cumbersome, slow, and consume vast amounts of energy. Space drills, for instance, are no exception. Even more troublesome is the fact that the motion of Earth-based drills can cause them to float away in low-gravity conditions.
Enter the remarkable wood wasp, also known as the horntail wasp. The females of this species are equipped with an ovipositor, a sharp, tube-like structure at the end of their bodies, which they use to lay eggs. The process involves finding the right tree, drilling the ovipositor into the trunk, and depositing the eggs inside, all without causing any harm to the wasp. It's impressive that this small insect can essentially drive its body into solid wood without injury.
In 2006, a team of four scientists from the University of Bath in the UK published a paper proposing a space drill inspired by the female wood wasp's ovipositor. The drill would be capable of drilling through solid rock, utilizing the same mechanism as the wasp's egg-laying device. Julian Vincent, the lead biomimetics professor, noted that the biggest challenge was convincing space agencies to adopt this innovative design, as engineers tend to resist adopting new technologies while the old ones are still functional.
