Technological advancements seem to accelerate every month, especially as new approaches to technological innovation take hold. For example, in the field known as biomimicry, scientists dig deeper and deeper into nature to find new design concepts. And, this, like many other fields, attracts researchers because its potential is enormous and we are just beginning to scratch the surface.
But what is biomimicry?
Biomimicry , or biomimicry, is the examination of nature, its systems, its procedures, processes and elements and then to be inspired by new inventions that help humans solve the problems they face. The goal is for humans to create much more sustainable designs to advance innovation while keeping the future of the planet in mind.
Humans are continually looking for new ways to improve upon designs already invented and, surprisingly, nature is helping humans build better designs than ever before. This approach through the imitation of nature has been the fundamental basis of many inventions, including buildings and automobiles.
Without going any further, a team of researchers came up with a mathematical solution that can help minimize noise and maximize aerodynamics in the design to help wind turbines and aerial vehicles. This technology has been inspired by the feathers of owls.
Similarly, scientists from Salk and the University of California, San Diego have discovered that the brain of a fruit fly has the graceful and efficient innovative methods for conducting searches for similarities. Could they be the search engines of the future? The fruit fly brain could help design computer algorithms very soon.
The movement of whale fins inspired innovation in wind power generation, air circulation within termite mounds, the design of more sustainable buildings such as the Eastgate Center in Harare, Zimbabwe, which used precise computer simulations of thermal performance, and Council House 2 at Melbourne City Hall, Australia.
A classic case of biomimicry was the way Japanese Shinkansen bullet trains were remodeled in 1989 . Previously, when these trains entered a tunnel, they pushed the air in front of it at such speed that it produced a pressure wave and bomb sound that could be heard 400 meters away; something that was a problem of noise pollution, especially in residential areas. The director of technological development Eiji Nakatsu was inspired by the aerodynamics of the kingfisher’s beak, because when it enters the water at high speeds, it does not generate an impact wave so as not to scare its prey. The engineer redesigned the front of the train and managed to significantly reduce the sound.
And this is just the beginning. Biomimicry is increasingly becoming a very important tool. Global warming, environmentally aggressive production standards, high levels of degradation, waste and disposal, population growth – all of these bring the availability of natural resources under control and draw our attention to the need for new industrial and economic parameters.
