Engineers find elegant design solutions in the natural world.

In the not-so-distant past, engineering and biology were two distinct fields of study that rarely had much to do with each other. No more. Nature, once strictly the realm of biologists, is increasingly being scrutinized by engineers, who appreciate that it can offer sustainable, energy-efficient solutions to vexing human problems.

Biomimicry is a fast-growing, multidisciplinary field of industrial design based on several billion years’ worth of research and development —  courtesy of evolution. Here’s a small sample of the many engineering innovations inspired by the natural world.

IN A SWOON OVER SWIRLS PAX Scientific designs products inspired by the elegance of vortices — the whirlpools you see when water runs down a drain. The spiral shape of a vortex is such a useful design that it regularly appears in natural things such as nautilus shells, galaxies, and DNA, says PAX founder Jay Harmon. The company incorporates the shape into products such as fan and boat propellers, wind-turbine blades, and the impellers that push water through pumps, making them more energy-efficient.

BUMPS FOR SMOOTH STROKES Whales are such graceful swimmers that they can swiftly change direction with the greatest of ease — despite their girth. Frank Fish, an expert in the biomechanics of sea animals at West Chester University, discovered that whales swim so effectively because of their tubercles — the bumps along the leading edge of their flippers. Inspired by that concept, he started WhalePower, a company that designs bump-edged blades for wind turbines. The blades don’t stall as easily, improving their effectiveness.

AS COOL AS A TERMITE The massive Eastgate shopping center in Harare, Zimbabwe, eschews air conditioning. Instead, it relies on a system of passive cooling inspired by African termite mounds. Termite mounds capture breezes and ventilate hot air via chimneys to maintain a constant temperature inside  — despite outside temperatures that fluctuate between 35 degrees Fahrenheit at night and 104 degrees during the day. At Eastgate, fans suck in fresh air from outside and expel warm, stale air through flues. The system uses 90 percent less energy than traditional air conditioning.

CYBER SCAMPERERS Robert J. Full runs a University of California–Berkeley bioengineering lab that’s dedicated to unlocking the locomotion secrets of insects, lizards, centipedes, and other critters. Full’s Ariel is a crab-inspired robot that can maneuver in surf. His RiSE robot mimics the gecko and can crawl up walls. And his six-legged, cockroach-like RHex bot can scamper across rough terrain.

Watch a video about Speedo’s LZR here:

Also, see this video on biomimicry:

Filed under: Environmental

Tags: Biomimicry