Nature has worked out solutions to a lot of problems. Humans have come late in the day. The burdock burrs that got stuck to his dog's fur, the motion and gripping ability of elephant trunks, and the front of Japan's bullet trains are just some of the things that inspired inventions.
The simplest type of mimicry is copying something that exists in nature. Research published in Nature shows that buildings are an example. The Beijing national stadium is similar to a bird's nest and the Lotus Temple in India is similar to a palm tree.
The camouflage dress is inspired by nature's ability to disguise itself. For function, the blades in noiseless fans are modeled on whale fins and gecko tape.
Thanks to advances in technology, our ability to copy nature is getting more advanced. The atomic force microscope uses a probe that is 1,000 times smaller than a hair and can be used to look at sample materials. The development of biomimicry has been made easier by this.
Saurav Goel, a professor in manufacturing at London South Bank University, is trying to engineer materials that will break down into smaller particles. Engineering materials such as plastic, glass, cement, and alloy consume a lot of energy when they are recycled. Their natural decomposition will take a long time. He says this is a main roadblock to sustainable living.
He and his team are trying to create artificial body parts that are more sanitary than current materials. In the next 50 years, he wants to create a bio-robot that has soft tissues that look like humans. He says that the human body is perfect.
This is the first thing. Scientists have appreciated how well mussels hold onto rocks underwater. They are trying to create a non-toxic glue that instantly sticks materials together. It is possible to close wounds after surgery.
There are two Watching ducks swim in a row gives clues to shipping goods in more energy efficient ways. destructive wave interference occurs when a duckling finds the "sweet spot" behind its mother, instead of the drag holding it back, it pulls it forward so it uses less energy to paddle along. The other ducklings benefit as well. If ships traveled as part of a water-train, they could carry more cargo.
There are three. Plants are able to suck up water and certain vitamins. Scientists are trying to duplicate them.
There are four. The light reflected by the little crystals on the chameleon's skin is different depending on how large they are or how they are arranged. Artificial "smart skins" which could be used as camouflage or signalling over long distances are being worked on by scientists.
There are five. Plants take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere when they make food. Scientists have been trying to duplicate this process for decades in order to tackle the climate crisis. A group of researchers in California have found a way to turn carbon dioxide into something that can be used as fuel.
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