Top 5 Technological Innovations Inspired by Nature

Engineers specialize in tackling challenges, striving to achieve specific goals. These challenges might include constructing skyscrapers resilient to extreme weather or developing techniques to target individual cells with precise drug delivery.

Frequently, engineers turn to nature to find pre-existing solutions to their problems. They must not only identify these solutions but also analyze, replicate, and improve them for practical use. This method is known as biomimetics, where human-made designs imitate biological systems.

The outcomes can range from groundbreaking innovations to everyday conveniences. However, even the simplest inventions owe their existence to engineers observing and learning from natural processes. Here, we explore five examples of nature-inspired technologies, presented in no specific sequence.

5: Advancing Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has been a buzzword for many years. Initially, computers were merely high-speed calculators, incapable of independent thought. They could only execute specific, predefined commands.

Now, engineers and computer scientists are striving to transition from mere computation to genuine cognition. Their efforts have yielded some success. For instance, in 2008, researchers utilized the BlueGene L supercomputer to emulate a mouse's brain. While this may seem straightforward, the brain's complexity, even in a virtual mouse, is staggering. The supercomputer could only manage the simulation in short 10-second intervals [source: BBC News].

In 2009, a team at Cornell developed a computer program capable of deducing the fundamental laws of motion by observing a pendulum's behavior. The program collected data and applied a genetic algorithm to infer the core principles of physics.

In the future, machines might tackle intricate engineering challenges and even design more advanced technologies. Imagine computers creating their successors—now that's profound innovation.

4: Targeting Cancer Cells

Collaborative teams of engineers, computer scientists, and medical professionals are devising ways to treat cancer and other diseases at the cellular level. Their approach includes crafting nanoscale delivery systems, creating medical nanoparticles smaller than 100 nanometers in diameter. To put it in perspective, a nanometer is a billionth of a meter, making these particles invisible even under light microscopes.

The concept is ingenious: develop drug-carrying particles capable of locating cancer cells, penetrating them, and administering treatment precisely where needed. By focusing solely on cancerous cells, doctors aim to eradicate the disease while sparing healthy cells and reducing side effects.

This challenge is more complex than it appears. However, researchers have a natural blueprint to guide them in designing nanoparticles: viruses. Measuring just a few nanometers, viruses can identify and target specific cells before reproducing. Scientists aim to replicate this targeting capability in nanoparticles.

3: Climbing Walls

For centuries, humans have sought the perfect method to adhere objects together. In ancient times, this might have meant driving a spike through a mammoth's hide to insulate a cave. Today, engineers draw inspiration from burr-covered plants and creatures like the gecko.

In 1941, Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral was removing burrs from his clothes and his dog's fur. Examining a burr under a microscope, he discovered tiny hooks that enabled it to cling to surfaces. This observation led to the invention of Velcro, a material that mimics these natural fasteners [source: Stephens].

Gecko Tape is another innovation, utilizing microscopic hairs to adhere to smooth surfaces, much like the hairs on a gecko's feet. Researchers envision creating full suits from this material, enabling wearers to climb walls or even traverse ceilings. Soon, we might not need to rely on fictional heroes like Spider-Man for such feats.

2: Self-Guided Navigation

In the future, robots will become ubiquitous. Whether they serve our needs or pose a threat is uncertain. Regardless, a key feature for their success will be the ability to navigate autonomously.

Most robots either follow pre-set paths or react to obstacles as they encounter them. Very few can independently navigate from one location to another. Engineers are addressing this challenge by studying the behavior of ants.

The Cataglyphis, a Saharan Desert ant, navigates differently from other ants by avoiding pheromone trails. Researchers suggest it uses visual cues, path integration, and systematic searches [source: Möller et al.]. Engineers aim to replicate this navigation method to develop robots with comparable abilities.

1: Achieving Flight

In 2000, Walt Disney Pictures released a revised version of "Fantasia," featuring a scene where humpback whales soar to Ottorino Respighi's "The Pines of Rome." Though whales won't take to the skies, this imaginative sequence foreshadowed a real scientific breakthrough.

In May 2004, a team of scientists and engineers published a study in the Physics of Fluids journal. They created models of humpback whale pectoral flippers, one with tubercles (the bumps found on real flippers) and another with a smooth surface.

Both models underwent testing in a wind tunnel at the U.S. Naval Academy. The results revealed that the flipper featuring tubercles experienced an 8 percent increase in lift. Additionally, it demonstrated reduced susceptibility to stalling at high wind angles and generated up to 32 percent less drag.

Could aircraft with textured wings become a reality? It's highly plausible. The team's research highlights nature's design of an efficient mechanism for navigating fluid environments. Ignoring these insights might be a missed opportunity.

Throughout history, nature has inspired countless technological advancements. The next time you face a complex engineering challenge, consider seeking inspiration from the natural world around you.

Discover more about the intersection of technology and nature on the following page.