The Importance of Nature's Designs

Nature is the best teacher. There is a lot of talk about conservation floating around ATS. Perhaps we should take a look at yet another reason that conserving wildlife is so important.

I've debated with many of you as to why conserving animal / plant life is essential.

-----------------------------------------------------

The topic of this thread is something called biomimicry. This by definition means:

Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems sustainably. Scientific and engineering literature often uses the term Biomimetics for the process of understanding and applying biological principles to human designs.[citation needed] This includes biomaterials, biomechanics, biological systems composed of individuals of one species (e.g., schools, herds and swarms), or multispecies ensembles. In simple terms, it is when scientists make a machine that mimics what an organism does.

Source

------------------------------------------------------

!!!!This is a must watch!!!!

This is a really inspiring talk.

First before I go over different products and designs inspired my nature, lets watch a talk by Janine Benyus.

The reason I picked this particular speaker is because she will not fail to fascinate.

Video Link:

Janine Benyus shares nature's designs

Bio:

n the world envisioned by science author Janine Benyus, a locust's ability to avoid collision within a roiling cloud of its brethren informs the design of a crash-resistant car; a self-cleaning leaf inspires a new kind of paint, one that dries in a pattern that enables simple rainwater to wash away dirt; and organisms capable of living without water open the way for vaccines that maintain potency even without refrigeration -- a hurdle that can prevent life-saving drugs from reaching disease-torn communities. Most important, these cool tools from nature pull off their tricks while still managing to preserve the environment that sustains them, a life-or-death lesson that humankind is in need of learning.

As a champion of biomimicry, Benyus has become one of the most important voices in a new wave of designers and engineers inspired by nature. Her most recent project, AskNature, explores what happens if we think of nature by function and looks at what organisms can teach us about design.

Source

This source link will bring you to other talks from her if you are interested.

---------------------------------------------

Here are a few innovations derived from nature.

Bullet Train

Image credit: Japaneselifestyle.com

The 500-series Shinkansen Japanese bullet train running between Tokyo and Hakata is one of the fastest trains in the world. It drew its inspiration from owl plumage to reduce air resistance noise and the air piercing nose cone design was inspired by the kingfisher’s beak. Owl has saw-toothed wave feathers; they generate small vortexes in the airflow that then breakup the larger vortexes that produce noise. The shape of kingfisher’s beak is aerodynamic. Scientists observed the aerodynamics in it and designed the front part of that train like the beak of kingfisher bird.

Lotus Paint:

Image credit: Treehugger.com

Lotus leaf, due to the presence of wax, does not retain any water or wax on its upper layer. This is called lotus effect. Based on lotus effect a paint named Lotusan is developed by a German Professor Wilhem Barthlott, from the University of Bonn, which is dirt and water repellent. It has self cleaning properties and excellent resistance to weather, chalk and UV rays. It remains clean even for decades.

Shark Suit (Speedo Fast Skin)

Fast Skin Shark suit is designed by Speedo based on the scales of shark. It has been observed that the reason for the ability of shark to swim fast is nothing but the design of its scales. The shark suit is designed this way to help swimmers by Based on this shark suit is designed which helps the swimmers to swim fast by reducing water friction.

This next innovation will actually be brought up later in a very interesting lecture by Robert Full. I would definitely watch it!

Gecko Tape

Gecko tape is a gum less tape designed by the Manchester University Scientists. This is designed by the inspiration of the Gecko lizard’s ability to climb up walls and walk along ceilings. The Gecko foot has tiny hair-like structures called setae that exhibit van der waals forces.

Mercedes Bionic Concept Car

Mercedes bionic concept car is designed based on the body shape of a boxfish. Boxfish is found in tropical marine habitats. The car has hexagonal shaped body which has less weight and all its parts are also lighter weight. This car can travel
60 km. within eight seconds only. It emits 80% lower nitrogen oxide and consumes 20% lower fuel.

Velcro

Velcro is the famous brand of the hook-and-loop fasteners that were designed by Swiss Engineer George de Mestral in 1940. He designed it after the observation of how the hooks of the plant burrs stuck in the fur of his dog and his pants. Observation of this under microscope showed him numerous tiny “hooks” that belonged to the plant.

The Eastgate Complex

The Eastgate Complex located in Harare, Zimbabwe was designed by the Engineers of Arup led by Mick Pearce. This complex is designed with the inspiration from the ventilation design from termite mounds
. Termites require their home to remain at an exact temperature of 30.5°C throughout the day even when the temperature ranges from 1°C (during the night) to 40°C (during the day). This complex has natural cooling ventilation process with specially designed hooded windows, variable thickness wall and light colored paints to reduce heat absorption.

Turbine Blades

Flippers of the humpback whales are very efficient in propelling the whales forward despite being so huge. The tubercles of the flippers are the reason for this hydrodynamic efficiency. Biomechanist Frank Fish incorporated this design in Wind Turbine blades and has observed that they produce more energy and less noise at lower speeds compared to their normal smooth edged counterparts.

Smart Fabric

Smart fabric is developed by Britain Researches at the University of Bath’s Centre. This new fabric is developed based on the mechanism used by the pine cones to shed their seeds. The smart fabric does the same thing, opening up when it is warm, and shutting tight when cold.

Cat’s Eye Reflectors

After studying the tapetum lucidum, the reflector cells in cat’s eyes that reflect even small amounts of light, Percy Shaw in 1935 designed reflectors that are now being used on roads to mark road margins and lane dividers. The reflectors usually consist two reflector glasses fit into a white rubber dome. This dome is fortified by mounting onto a cast iron holding.
I’m pretty sure that there are many other unexplored designs in nature that would someday be the inspirations for novel products and designs.

Source

----------------------------------------------

Next is Robert Full. Bio:

Robert Full:

UC Berkeley biologist Robert Full is fascinated with cockroach legs that allow them to scuttle at full speed across loose mesh and gecko feet that have billions of nano-bristles to run straight up walls. He's using his research to design the perfect robotic "distributed foot," adding spines, hairs and other parts to metal legs and creating versatile scampering machines.

He's helped create robots, such as Spinybot, which can walk up sheer glass like a gecko -- and he even helped Pixar create more realistic insect animations in the film A Bug's Life.

Source

Robert Full on animal movement

Robert Full: Learning from the gecko's tail

Robert Full on engineering and evolution

We must conserve nature's designs before they are lost to us forever!!!

[edit on 25-1-2010 by DaMod]

[edit on 25-1-2010 by DaMod]

A few more innovations from nature

www.bamboobike.org...

www.technologyreview.com...

www.springerlink.com...

[edit on 25-1-2010 by sparrowstail]

There is tremendous potential for world-changing discovery in the field of mycology, both in the propagation and stewardship of fungi in the natural environment, and the analysis of the chemical compounds unique to their kingdom. Mushrooms could keep scientists busy for centuries. Watch this video and be amazed!

reply to post by DaMod


Excellent thread..shows how much we learn from wildlife and environment and how much more can we learn. We may have rockets, submarines but most of the time Humans have copied it. S&F

[edit on 25-1-2010 by December_Rain]

Originally posted by December_Rain
reply to post by DaMod

 

Excellent thread..shows how much we learn from wildlife and environment and how much more can we learn. We may have rockets, submarines but most of the time Humans have copied it. S&F

[edit on 25-1-2010 by December_Rain]

I think it is much more than we give credit for.

What was the biggest break through in medical history?

Anyone?

I can tell you it came straight from nature.

Penicillin (sometimes abbreviated PCN or pen) is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi.[1] Penicillin antibiotics are historically significant because they are the first drugs that were effective against many previously serious diseases such as syphilis and Staphylococcus infections. Penicillins are still widely used today, though many types of bacteria are now resistant. All penicillins are Beta-lactam antibiotics and are used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible, usually Gram-positive, organisms.

Originally posted by December_Rain
reply to post by DaMod

 

Excellent thread..shows how much we learn from wildlife and environment and how much more can we learn. We may have rockets, submarines but most of the time Humans have copied it. S&F

[edit on 25-1-2010 by December_Rain]

To add:

Also if you really look, almost all of our current technology originated from an idea we found in nature.

I found some other stuff. Figured I would post it....





Also a link to the Department of Labor: Biological Sciences. Interesting read.

Link



[edit on 25-1-2010 by DaMod]

reply to post by John_Brown


Excellent video there John_Brown, very informative indeed thanks for sharing that video with us. I personally did not know anything about mushrooms until I watched that video.

Originally posted by John_Brown
There is tremendous potential for world-changing discovery in the field of mycology, both in the propagation and stewardship of fungi in the natural environment, and the analysis of the chemical compounds unique to their kingdom. Mushrooms could keep scientists busy for centuries. Watch this video and be amazed!

HOLY CRAP! I just barely had a chance to watch that!

The implications are just.... incomparable to anything else. Especially that part with the oil pile.... Why aren't we freaking dusting our landfills with this stuff? Why isn't the use of this fungus a standard practice? It takes a pile of gunky polluted crap, and turns into a lush environment....

If it can break down oil can it break down plastics? If so then it would be the ultimate solution to all our problems especially in areas of waste.

Maybe a fungus can save the world...

I will definitely be getting one of those life boxes.

Yet another one of natures designs we can not afford to loose.

[edit on 26-1-2010 by DaMod]