Introduction to Biomimetics

Biomimetics Defined

• Biomimetics involves applying biological methods and systems from nature to design engineering systems and modern technology.
• It's also referred to as Bionics, biognosis, biomimicry or bionical creativity engineering.
• Biomimetics is gaining recognition as a future technology in Europe, Japan, and the USA, leading to more interest and funding.
• Companies like Ford, General Electric, Herman Miller, HP, IBM, and Nike are collaborating with scientists and establishing labs to discover new technologies within the field.

Biomimetics Strategies and Principles

• Nature designs forms to match their function, using diverse, non-orthogonal shapes and designs to maximize structural efficiency.
• Natural processes minimize material input.
• Nature recycles everything, treating waste as a resource.
• Nature employs an ordered hierarchy of structures.
• Nature thrives on diversity, constantly mutating and flexibly adapting to change.
• Nature uses self-assembly to create structural organization at all scales.
• Natural systems are resilient and self-healing.
• Nature aims for optimization rather than maximization, using minimal materials for the best structure and function.

Biomimetic Applications

• Termite mound designs inspire self-cooling buildings.
• Whale fin edges enhance the efficiency of turbine blades.
• Shark skin structure is the inspiration for antibacterial surfaces.
• Burrs of Burdock inspired Velcro (hook and loop fasteners).
• Kingfisher beak led to low-resistance/low-noise train design.
• Lotus leaves are the inspiration for self-cleaning, hydrophobic paint/surfaces.

Shark Skin

• Sharks' skin has overlapping scales.
• Evolution has ensured that water flows very efficiently over these scales, helping sharks achieve high speeds.
• Special alignment and grooved denticle structures in shark skin reduce drag, increasing swimming efficiency.
• Airbus reduced fuel consumption by 1.5% by applying a "shark skin" coating.
• Adjusting riblets has the potential to increase efficiency of airplanes by up to 4%.
• Increased speed of up to 1.56% has been achieved.
• The use of riblets reduced total drag, resulting in better handling and higher glide ratio.

Velcro

• Small hooks facilitate the seed-bearing burr in clinging to the tiny loops in fabric.
• Velcro was invented in 1941 by Swiss engineer George de Mestral, inspired by burrs that stuck to his dog’s hair.
• Under a microscope, he observed tiny hooks on the burr spines that caught loops in clothing, hair, and fur.
• The two-part Velcro system has strips or patches of hooked material opposite loose-looped nylon strips holding the hooks.

Shinkansen Bullet Train

• Japan's Shinkansen Bullet Train can travel up to 200 miles per hour.
• A major debut issue was noise.
• Each time the train came out from a tunnel there was a thunder-like change in air pressure that was an annoyance within a quarter mile.
• The Chief Engineer, a bird watcher, designed a shape inspired by a bird's beak, with the aim of its being more aerodynamic.
• A quieter train which consumes 15% less electricity and goes 10% faster than before because of the kingfisher beak narrow profile design.

Gecko Feet

• Geckos are nocturnal lizards with adhesive pads on their feet and that help them climb smooth surfaces.
• Geckos use fine hairs on their feet to hang from walls and walk on ceilings.
• Gecko feet have lamellae.
• Lamellae have setae that end in a spatula-like structure.
• Nanoscale spatulae and wall atoms create Van der Waals forces, producing high friction.

Gecko Tape

• Gecko Tape is a nanoscopic hair covering on a material like the hairs on gecko lizards' feet.
• Van der Waals forces are generated by these million tiny, flexible hair which provides a powerful adhesion.
• One square centimeter of gecko tape supports 1 kg in weight.
• The University of California - Berkeley developed synthetic microfibers that use high friction to support loads on smooth surfaces.
• Gecko-footed robots could climb to the roof and emplace permanent anchors for utilities, transportation or entire lunar bases.

Butterfly Wings

• A butterfly’s wings have components that comprise one of the most remarkable materials in nature.
• The tiny but complex structures reflect wavelengths of light that interfere with each other to create colors that can only be achieved through nature.
• Qualcomm engineers are creating colored electronic screens that are extremely efficient, and viewable in any light because of their study of this process.

Rescuing Robots

• A flexible spider with a capability to squeeze into tight places provides an ideal model for rescue robots that clear their way in rubble after a disaster.
• Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute claims this robot can be produced cheaply.
• It can assist responders, after natural catastrophes, industrial incidents, reactor accidents, or fire department sorties with tasks like live streaming broadcasts or tracking down environmental hazards from leaking gas.

Biomimetics for Space Applications

• Space has challenging environments such as almost zero gravity and extreme temperature fluctuations, as well as high amounts of UV and electromagnetic/particulate radiation.
• Biomimetic progress is occuring along with developments in the space industry.
• Maintaining the integrity of spacecraft systems relies on heat flow, and temperature management due to extreme space temps.
• Bio-inspired porous carbon has shown promising results protecting spacecraft during re-entry into planetary atmospheres.
• Light, flexible materials have been created to protect tools and structures from electromagnetic radiation.
• Conventional metal shields can be replaced with cell-wall mimicking shields with tiny pores.
• Unmanned spacecraft have issues with enormous impact forces on a planet.
• Impact forces must be dealt with in order to protect sensitive equipment and payloads.
• The pomelo peel shows options with its peel which possesses a thick open cell foam form that protects the fruit it encloses from trees that it falls from.
• Artificial space versions of foam systems are being created to mimic impact damping and to dissipate energy.
• Concerned by space debris, mitigation and removal efforts are now a major subject of concern.
• There has been discussion of robotic systems that mimic octopi arms to remove debris.
• Wrapping around complex shapes is easy because of their mobility, adaptability, and maneuverability.
• Seahorses use their tail to grasp and lift numerous sizes of objects.
• Bending and torsion is made possible because of decreasing square cross sections of four individual plates joined through specialized joints.
• Specialized construction leads to excellent fracture resistance against crushing.

Other Applications

• GreenPod Labs created plant-based sachets intended to mimic natural defense mechanisms within specific fruits and veggies
• Slowing down ripening and reducing microbial growth in plant-based volatiles reduces cold storage or cold supplychain requirements .
• Waterproof and breathable textiles using one mono material have accomplished the creation of a recyclable and PFC-free alternative
• Removing any chemical treatments means Amphibo has eliminated a big obstacle in creating sustainable textiles.
• Intropic Materials use embedded enzymes on plastics to make them more biodegradable.
• The plastics used break down into chemical recyclable smaller molecules that are safe and can decay in common life-friendly conditions like compost.