Biomimicry
Encyclopedia
Biomimicry or biomimetics is the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems. The term biomimicry and biomimetics come from the Greek words bios, meaning life, and mimesis
, meaning to imitate. Other terms often used are bionics, bio-inspiration, and biognosis.
(1452–1519) was a keen observer of the anatomy and flight of birds, and made numerous notes and sketches on his observations as well as sketches of various "flying machines". The Wright Brothers
, who finally did succeed in creating and flying the first airplane in 1903, also derived inspiration for their airplane from observations of pigeons in flight.
Otto Schmitt
, an American academic and inventor, coined the term biomimetics to describe the transfer of ideas from biology to technology. The term biomimetics only entered the Websters Dictionary in 1974 and is defined as "the study of the formation, structure, or function of biologically produced substances and materials (as enzymes or silk) and biological mechanisms and processes (as protein synthesis or photosynthesis) especially for the purpose of synthesizing similar products by artificial mechanisms which mimic natural ones".
In 1960, the term bionics was coined by psychiatrist and engineer Jack Steele to mean "the science of systems which have some function copied from nature". Bionics entered the Webster dictionary in 1960 as "a science concerned with the application of data about the functioning of biological systems to the solution of engineering problems". The term bionic took on a different connotation when Martin Caidin
referenced Jack Steele and his work in the novel "Cyborg" which later resulted in the 1974 television series "The Six Million Dollar Man
" and its spin-offs. The term bionic then became associated with 'the use of electronically operated artificial body parts' and 'having ordinary human powers increased by or as if by the aid of such devices'. Because the term bionic took on the implication of super natural strength, the scientific community in English speaking countries shied away from using it in subsequent years.
The term biomimicry appeared as early as 1982. The term biomimicry was popularized by scientist and author Janine Benyus
in her 1997 book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Biomimicry is defined in her book as a "new science that studies nature's models and then imitates or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems". Benyus suggests looking to Nature as a "Model, Measure, and Mentor" and emphasizes sustainability as an objective of biomimicry.
The San Diego Zoo started its biomimicry programs in 2007, and recently commissioned an Economic Impact Study to determine the economic potential of biomimicry. The report was titled Biomimicry: An Economic Game Changer and estimated that biomimicry would have a $300 billion annual impact on the US economy, plus add an additional $50 billion in environmental remediation.
, a mid-rise office complex in Harare
, Zimbabwe
, (highlighted in this Biomimicry Institute case-study) stays cool without air conditioning and uses only 10% of the energy of a conventional building its size.
Modeling echolocation
in bat
s in darkness has led to a cane for the visually impaired. Research at the University of Leeds
, in the United Kingdom, led to the UltraCane, a product formerly manufactured, marketed and sold by Sound Foresight Ltd.
Janine Benyus
refers in her books to spider
s that create web silk as strong as the Kevlar
used in bulletproof vests. Engineers could use such a material—if it had a long enough rate of decay—for parachute lines, suspension bridge cables, artificial ligaments for medicine, and many other purposes.
Other research has proposed adhesive glue from mussel
s, solar cells made like leaves, fabric that emulates shark
skin, harvesting water from fog like a beetle
, and more. Nature’s 100 Best is a compilation of the top hundred different innovations of animals, plants, and other organisms that have been researched and studied by the Biomimicry Institute.
A display technology based on the reflective properties of certain morpho butterflies
was commercialized by Qualcomm in 2007. The technology uses Interferometric Modulation
to reflect light so only the desired color is visible to the eye in each individual pixel of the display.
Biomimicry may also provide design methodologies and techniques to optimize engineering products and systems. An example is the re-derivation of Murray's law
, which in conventional form determined the optimum diameter of blood vessels, to provide simple equations for the pipe or tube diameter which gives a minimum mass engineering system.
A novel engineering application of biomimetics is in the field of structural engineering. Recently, researchers from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) have been incorporating biomimetic characteristics in an adaptive deployable tensegrity bridge . The bridge can carry out self-diagnosis and self-repair.
Mimesis
Mimesis , from μιμεῖσθαι , "to imitate," from μῖμος , "imitator, actor") is a critical and philosophical term that carries a wide range of meanings, which include imitation, representation, mimicry, imitatio, receptivity, nonsensuous similarity, the act of resembling, the act of expression, and the...
, meaning to imitate. Other terms often used are bionics, bio-inspiration, and biognosis.
History
Humans have always looked to nature for inspiration to solve problems. One of the early examples of biomimicry was the study of birds to enable human flight. Although never successful in creating a "flying machine", Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
(1452–1519) was a keen observer of the anatomy and flight of birds, and made numerous notes and sketches on his observations as well as sketches of various "flying machines". The Wright Brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
, who finally did succeed in creating and flying the first airplane in 1903, also derived inspiration for their airplane from observations of pigeons in flight.
Otto Schmitt
Otto Schmitt
Otto Herbert Schmitt was an American inventor, engineer, and biophysicist known for his scientific contributions to biophysics and for establishing the field of biomedical engineering...
, an American academic and inventor, coined the term biomimetics to describe the transfer of ideas from biology to technology. The term biomimetics only entered the Websters Dictionary in 1974 and is defined as "the study of the formation, structure, or function of biologically produced substances and materials (as enzymes or silk) and biological mechanisms and processes (as protein synthesis or photosynthesis) especially for the purpose of synthesizing similar products by artificial mechanisms which mimic natural ones".
In 1960, the term bionics was coined by psychiatrist and engineer Jack Steele to mean "the science of systems which have some function copied from nature". Bionics entered the Webster dictionary in 1960 as "a science concerned with the application of data about the functioning of biological systems to the solution of engineering problems". The term bionic took on a different connotation when Martin Caidin
Martin Caidin
Martin Caidin was an American author and an authority on aeronautics and aviation.Caidin wrote more than 50 books, including Samurai!, Black Thursday, Thunderbolt!, Fork-Tailed Devil: The P-38, Zero!, The Ragged, Rugged Warriors, A Torch to the Enemy and many other works of military history...
referenced Jack Steele and his work in the novel "Cyborg" which later resulted in the 1974 television series "The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
" and its spin-offs. The term bionic then became associated with 'the use of electronically operated artificial body parts' and 'having ordinary human powers increased by or as if by the aid of such devices'. Because the term bionic took on the implication of super natural strength, the scientific community in English speaking countries shied away from using it in subsequent years.
The term biomimicry appeared as early as 1982. The term biomimicry was popularized by scientist and author Janine Benyus
Janine Benyus
Janine M. Benyus is an American natural sciences writer, innovation consultant, and author.-Life:Benyus graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University with degrees in natural resource management and english literature/writing. Benyus teaches interpretive writing, lectures at the University of...
in her 1997 book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Biomimicry is defined in her book as a "new science that studies nature's models and then imitates or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems". Benyus suggests looking to Nature as a "Model, Measure, and Mentor" and emphasizes sustainability as an objective of biomimicry.
The San Diego Zoo started its biomimicry programs in 2007, and recently commissioned an Economic Impact Study to determine the economic potential of biomimicry. The report was titled Biomimicry: An Economic Game Changer and estimated that biomimicry would have a $300 billion annual impact on the US economy, plus add an additional $50 billion in environmental remediation.
Examples
Researchers, for example, studied the termite's ability to maintain virtually constant temperature and humidity in their termite mounds in Africa despite outside temperatures that vary from 1.5 °C to 40 °C (35 °F to 104 °F). Researchers initially scanned a termite mound and created 3-D images of the mound structure, which revealed construction that can influence human building design. The Eastgate CentreEastgate Centre, Harare
The Eastgate Centre is a shopping centre and office block in central Harare, Zimbabwe whose architect is Mick Pearce. Designed to be ventilated and cooled by entirely natural means, it was probably the first building in the world to use natural cooling to this level of sophistication...
, a mid-rise office complex in Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, (highlighted in this Biomimicry Institute case-study) stays cool without air conditioning and uses only 10% of the energy of a conventional building its size.
Modeling echolocation
Animal echolocation
Echolocation, also called biosonar, is the biological sonar used by several kinds of animals.Echolocating animals emit calls out to the environment and listen to the echoes of those calls that return from various objects near them. They use these echoes to locate and identify the objects...
in bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s in darkness has led to a cane for the visually impaired. Research at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, in the United Kingdom, led to the UltraCane, a product formerly manufactured, marketed and sold by Sound Foresight Ltd.
Janine Benyus
Janine Benyus
Janine M. Benyus is an American natural sciences writer, innovation consultant, and author.-Life:Benyus graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University with degrees in natural resource management and english literature/writing. Benyus teaches interpretive writing, lectures at the University of...
refers in her books to spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s that create web silk as strong as the Kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
used in bulletproof vests. Engineers could use such a material—if it had a long enough rate of decay—for parachute lines, suspension bridge cables, artificial ligaments for medicine, and many other purposes.
Other research has proposed adhesive glue from mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s, solar cells made like leaves, fabric that emulates shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
skin, harvesting water from fog like a beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
, and more. Nature’s 100 Best is a compilation of the top hundred different innovations of animals, plants, and other organisms that have been researched and studied by the Biomimicry Institute.
A display technology based on the reflective properties of certain morpho butterflies
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
was commercialized by Qualcomm in 2007. The technology uses Interferometric Modulation
Interferometric modulator display
Interferometric modulator display is a technology used in electronic visual displays that can create various colors via interference of reflected light...
to reflect light so only the desired color is visible to the eye in each individual pixel of the display.
Biomimicry may also provide design methodologies and techniques to optimize engineering products and systems. An example is the re-derivation of Murray's law
Murray's law
Murray's law, or Murray's principle is a formula for relating the radii of daughter branches to the radii of the parent branch of a lumen-based system...
, which in conventional form determined the optimum diameter of blood vessels, to provide simple equations for the pipe or tube diameter which gives a minimum mass engineering system.
A novel engineering application of biomimetics is in the field of structural engineering. Recently, researchers from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) have been incorporating biomimetic characteristics in an adaptive deployable tensegrity bridge . The bridge can carry out self-diagnosis and self-repair.
Videos
- Michael Pawlyn: Using nature's genius in architecture from TED 2010
- Janine Benyus: Biomimicry in Action from TED 2009
- Janine Benyus: 12 sustainable design ideas from nature from TED 2005
- Robert Full shows how human engineers can learn from animals' tricks from TED 2002
- Sex, Velcro and Biomimicry with Janine Benyus
- The Fast Draw: Biomimicry from CBS News
External links
- Biomimicry Institute website
- Termite Mounds Inspire Zimbabwe Office Complex
- Biomimetic Architecture - Biomimicry applied to building and construction
- Ask Nature - the Biomimicry Design Portal: biomimetics, architecture, biology, innovation inspired by nature, industrial design
Further reading
- Thompson, D W.D'Arcy Wentworth ThompsonSir D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson CB FRS FRSE was a Scottish biologist, mathematician, and classics scholar. A pioneering mathematical biologist, he is mainly remembered as the author of the 1917 book On Growth and Form, written largely in Dundee in 1915...
, On Growth and Form. Dover 1992 reprint of 1942 2nd ed. (1st ed., 1917). - Vogel, S., Cats' Paws and Catapults: Mechanical Worlds of Nature and People. Norton & co. 2000.
- Benyus, J. M. (2001). Along Came a Spider. Sierra, 86(4), 46-47.
- Hargroves, K. D. & Smith, M. H. (2006). Innovation inspired by nature Biomimicry. Ecos, (129), 27-28.
- Pyper, W. (2006). Emulating nature: The rise of industrial ecology. Ecos, (129), 22-26.
- Smith, J. (2007). It’s only natural. The Ecologist, 37(8), 52-55.
- Passino, Kevin M. (2004). Biomimicry for Optimization, Control, and Automation. Springer
See also
- Bioinspiration & BiomimeticsBioinspiration & BiomimeticsBioinspiration & Biomimetics is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes research involving the study and distillation of principles and functions found in biological systems that have been developed through evolution....
(peer-reviewed journal) - BionicsBionicsBionics is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.The word bionic was coined by Jack E...
- Bright green environmentalismBright green environmentalismBright green environmentalism is an ideology based on the belief that the convergence of technological change and social innovation provides the most successful path to sustainable development.-Origin and evolution of bright green thinking:...
- EcoCoverEcoCoverEcoCover Limited of New Zealand has used biomimicry principles to develop an organically certified biodegradable mulch mat made from shredded waste paper bound with fish paste. The product, a substitute for black plastic sheeting used in agriculture, reduces the need for pesticides, conserves...
- Mercedes-Benz BionicMercedes-Benz BionicThe Mercedes-Benz Bionic was a concept car created by DaimlerChrysler AG under the Mercedes Group. It was first introduced in 2005 at the DaimlerChrysler Innovation Symposium in Washington, D. C...
concept car. - Mimicry
- PermaculturePermaculturePermaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that is modeled on the relationships found in nature. It is based on the ecology of how things interrelate rather than on the strictly biological concerns that form the foundation of modern agriculture...
- New Industrial Revolution
- The Water Cube
- TechnogaianismTechnogaianismTechnogaianism is a bright green environmentalist stance of active support for the research, development and use of emerging and future technologies to help restore Earth's environment...
- Tristram Carfrae