Biomimicry: innovation inspired by nature
Biomimicry or biomimetics is the science that studies nature as a source of inspiration for the design of innovative solutions (technological, architectural, process…) to solve human problems.
The main idea behind biomimetics is that nature is millions of years ahead of humans in any field, and for that reason it’s very advantageous to be inspired by it or to copy it directly. The term was popularized by scientist and author Janine Benyus with her book “Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature” in 1997. In the book she talks about a new science that studies the models of nature and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. You have to see her TED talk and for those who are more interested, go deeper with the Institute of Biomimetics.
It’s very interesting to see in VOX’s mini-documentary the reflections of Janine Benyus on how humans who design solutions don’t have a knowledge of how the world works, something that has been working and evolving for millions of years, and how that knowledge is needed to be more effective in our innovations.
She talks about three ways in which we can imitate nature: in its shape (widely used in architecture), in how different elements communicate (used for example in how self-driving cars communicate with each other) or directly by imitating an entire ecosystem, something that’s beginning to be widely used in smart cities and in the Circular Economy.
Below you have many links to examples of innovative solutions that were inspired by nature such as the Bullet train (Shinkansen) or the velcro:
- MIT Cheetah
- The world is poorly designed. But copying nature helps
- Biomimetic design: 10 examples of nature inspiring technology
- 9 Architectural Wonders Inspired by Nature
- See How Termites Inspired a Building That Can Cool Itself
- The Innovators Using Nature’s Design Principles to Create Green Tech
- Robots Inspired By Nature
A very interesting resource that I found was Biomimicry DesignLens, a visual guide to this discipline that explains what it is, the essential elements, lessons that we can learn from nature and how to promote Biomimicry Thinking. You can also find more information at Ask Nature.
#365daysof #futurism #biomimicry #innovation #day178
