Bio mimicry! innovations inspired by nature

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Through the time humans have advanced and somehow we feel proud this advancement. As we have more facilities than our ancestors. So, We value it a lot but technology too can learn from the nature we had from beginning of humans. From “Bio mimicry” a concept that can power our innovation. Lets have a brief study over it with best examples of Biomimicry.

Biomimicry is a natural way of design and innovation of mother nature. Taking ideas from the invention of nature. Inspiration for designs from natural environment in biomimicry.

Examples of Bio mimicry:-

I will explain important examples of bio mimicry in this article:-

Architecture inspired by termite mounds for cooling structures:-

In year 1991 Mick Pearce had a problem when he was hired for building largest office in Zimbabwe. But they didn’t want to pay for Cooling system making his work difficult so he thought how can a building cool itself. So he took inspiration from termite mound.

The termite mounds is covered with tiny holes. That helps it to inhale and exhale throughout different temperatures. So he used the concept of bio-mimicry architecture inspired by nature.

The building made from concrete slabs and bricks. Shape which has high thermal mass. with Chimneys and fans creating a self cooling ventilation system. The building is known as East gate center in Harare.

Redesign of Japanese Bullet train by bio mimetics:-

In 1989, Japans bullet train had a problem. IT was fast but every time it passes a tunnel it was loud. Its engineer and birdwatcher Eji nikatsu redesign system based on the aerodynamics of three species of bird.

Owl inspired the rug that touches the wire above decreasing the sound volume. The adelie penguin belly inspired the supporting shaft to attain lower wind resistance. The most prominent of them is Kingfisher’s beak design as it doesn’t make noise while catching fish underwater.

So the bullet train front was redesign according to it which makes it 10 percent faster and with 15 percent less electricity and off course much less noise. And that’s technology imitating our environment.

A bio inspired wind farm:-

It is an example of innovation and sustainability when wind farm gets inspiration from movement of fish. Student have come up with a new kind of wind mills.

When fishes move in groups they form spirals which ease fishes behind as they save a lot of energy. So they put up vertical axis wind turbines make them close to each other. So it made ten times more wind power in a lot less land use.

Grow plants with less water:-

This example is of agricultural innovation. So scientists are studying plants that are growing in extreme conditions. A researcher went to the yellow stone hot springs. These are having plants that are growing in harsh climate.

He found out that there is a fungal named Mycelial which is helping the plant to grow. And he is able to inoculate seeds. So the plant was able to grow five times more rice with half the water use. So it can help to cope with climate change in future.

Imitating shark for cleanliness:-

There is a shark called Galapagos shark having slow speed it still avoids bacteria with help of its skin. So by mimicking its skin structure Sharklet technology develop sheets that avoid bacteria. Not with the chemicals but structure.

That’s innovation management and new product development.

My opinion:-

In my opinion this concept is really life changing although i have written a blog post like “Waste oil as bio-fuel“.

How technology can learn from creation of god. Explaining Science is not the greatest and its principles can be proven wrong with time.

Nature is far more advance than us and there is a lot to learn from it. For a lot of time humans are focussing on science to save enviroment but with Bio inspiration.

Sometimes solution is in front but we fail to understand. This blog is inspired by the book of Janine Benyus anmed Biomimicry.

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