Biomimmicry

BIOMIMMICRY

The discipline of biomimicry takes its name from the Greek words ‘bios’, meaning life and ‘mimesis’, meaning to imitate.

Janine Benyus, one of biomimicry’s pioneers defines it as, ‘innovation inspired by nature.’

Well-known example of this process is evident in the invention of velcro. the product’s inventor George de Mestral stumbled upon the idea by observing how burrs stuck to his dog’s fur and his clothing. By mimicking the small hooks of the burrs, he was able to develop the product we now know as velcro.

What is Biomimmicry ?

Mankind has learned many things from observing other species and adapting their behaviours for our own needs.

Leonardo da Vinci, was a big proponent of learning from nature and using it as a source for inspiration.

His sketchbooks are filled with inventions that are closely linked to designs found in the natural world.

The Wright brothers and other flight pioneers commonly observed birds.

HISTORYThe science of biomicry was solidified in 1997, with the book ‘Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Design’ by Janine Benyus. In this book, Benyus demonstrated how biomimicry can be used by designers and other problem solvers to great advantage.In 1998, Janine Benyus co-founded the Biomimicry Guild, which has consulted architecture firms, design studios and manufacturers in order to equip creators and producers with the lessons of biomimicry.

On September 15, 2008, the Biomimicry Guild formed a permanent alliance with the global architecture firm HOK, to expand the mainstream application of bio-inspired design through the firm’s projects.

Looking at nature

Appreciate and understand nature.

Look at nature as model, measure and mentor.

Emulating nature’s forms, processes and systems to solve human problems.

Asking if our current methods are as efficient, simple and sustainable as those found in nature.

Need to accept that we are part of nature

ClassificationThe most obvious and common type of biomimicry is the emulation of nature’s form or function. Emulating nature on the process level is another form of biomimicry,

The third area examines how nature deals with things like waste and regeneration inside closed-loop lifecycles.

Biomimicry looks at holistic picture of nature’s system and can be directly applied to our human systems.

Application of Design

Biomimicry allows innovators and problem solvers of all kinds to create more intelligent and sustainabledesign through the emulation of nature.

Biomimicry community developed a process created especially for designers.

‘the design spiral’ is a guide which helps ‘biologize a challenge, query the natural world for inspiration, then evaluate to ensure that the final design mimics nature at all levels—form, process, and ecosystem.’

Applying biomimicry in design can be done in two ways, proceeding from design to nature or going from nature to design.

The design to nature approach works by identifying a design problem and turning to nature for a similar problem and solution.

Designers can also work in reverse, applying biomimicry by studying nature and imagining human applications for nature’s designs.

Good Innovation!

Will it fit in? Will it last? Is there a precedent for this in nature? Does it run on sunlight? Does it use only the energy it needs? Does it fit form to function? Does it recycle everything? Does it reward cooperation? Doest it bank on diversity? Does it utilize local expertise? Does it curb excess from within? Does it tap the power of limits? Is it beautiful?

“Morphotex” Dress Mimics Butterfly Wing Shimmer—

Without Any Dyes

Sydney designer Donna Sgro fashioned the frock from the Morphotex, a nanotechnology-based, structurally colored fiber that mimics the microscopic structure of the Morpho butterfly’s wings, which despite lacking color, appear a shimmery cobalt blue. Manufactured by Teijin in Japan, Morphotex requires no dyes or pigments, nor the prodigious amount of water and energy used in conventional dyeing.

Found in the rainforests of South America, the Morpho is one of the largest butterflies in the world, with wings that span five to eight inches. The vivid color on the upper surface of their wings—the underside is a drab spotted brown—is the result of microscopic, overlapping scales that sync up certain wavelengths of light while canceling out others.

Morphotex relies on fiber structure and physical phenomena such as light reflection, interference, refraction, and scattering to produce its opalescence. The fabric comprises roughly 60 polyester and nylon fibers, arranged in alternating layers that can be varied in thickness to produce four basic colors: red, green, blue, and violet.

Biomimicry’s Cool Alternative: Eastgate Centre in ZimbabweThe Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe, typifies the best of green

architecture and ecologically sensitive adaptation. The country’s largest office and shopping complex is an architectural marvel in its use of biomimicry

principles. The mid-rise building, designed by architect Mick Pearce in conjunction with engineers at Arup Associates, has no conventional air-

conditioning or heating, yet stays regulated year round with dramatically less energy consumption using design methods inspired by indigenous

Zimbabwean masonry and the self-cooling mounds of African termites!

Termites in Zimbabwe build gigantic mounds inside of which they farm a fungus that is their primary food source. The fungus must be kept at exactly 87 degrees F, while the temperatures outside range from 35 degrees F at night to 104 degrees F during the day. The termites achieve this remarkable feat by constantly opening and closing a series of heating and cooling vents throughout the mound over the course of the day. With a system of carefully adjusted convection currents, air is sucked in at the lower part of the mound, down into enclosures with muddy walls, and up through a channel to the peak of the termite mound. The industrious termites constantly dig new vents and plug up old ones in order to regulate the temperature.

The Eastgate Centre, largely made of concrete, has a ventilation system which operates in a similar way. Outside air that is drawn in is either warmed or cooled by the building mass depending on which is hotter, the building concrete or the air. It is then vented into the building’s floors and offices before exiting via chimneys at the top. The complex also consists of two buildings side by side that are separated by an open space that is covered by glass and open to the local breezes.

Air is continuously drawn from this open space by fans on the first floor. It is then pushed up vertical supply sections of ducts that are located in the central spine of each of the two buildings. The fresh air replaces stale air that rises and exits through exhaust ports in the ceilings of each floor. Ultimately it enters the exhaust section of the vertical ducts before it is flushed out of the building through chimneys.The Eastgate Centre uses less than 10% of the energy of a conventional building its size. These efficiencies translate directly to the bottom line: Eastgate’s owners have saved $3.5 million alone because of an air-conditioning system that did not have to be implemented. Outside of being eco-efficient and better for the environment, these savings also trickle down to the tenants whose rents are 20 percent lower than those of occupants in the surrounding buildings.Who would have guessed that the replication of designs created by termites would not only provide for a sound climate control solution but also be the most cost-effective way for humans to function in an otherwise challenging context?

Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train travels at over 200 miles per hour.

However the first design had one small problem: noise. every time the train came out of a tunnel, it would produce an extremely loud bang because of the change in air pressure.

The train’s engineers looked to nature for an answer and found a similar situation in the kingfisher, which dives from air into water with little splashing. They redesigned the front end of the train using the beak of the kingfisher as a model and were able to create a much quieter train. the redesign also helped the train go even faster and use less energy.

Mercedes-Benz bionic concept vehicle When Mercedes-Benz engineers were trying to design and new aerodynamic concept car they look underwater to find inspiration in the form of fish.

They focused on the ostracion cubicus, also known as the boxfish. this fish has a rather large body, but is able to swim very fast because of its low co-efficient of drag.

By identifying the similarities between cars and the boxfish, the designers began modelling a new vehicle after the boxfish. their final design had an unusual form that looked like a boxfish and after testing proved to have one of the lowest co-efficient of drag ever tested.

Interface carpetsInterface carpeting worked with the biomicry guild to help make their products more sustainable.

Their collaboration resulted in the entropy carpet line, by mimicking the randomness of colours and patterns found on the forest floor, they were able to create a design which was ideally suited to the needs of creating a modular carpet system, rather than trying to create uniform colours across a carpet, the entropy line embraces randomness and integrates it into its design. This design feature makes it very easy to change pieces of the carpet without noticing a difference.

Whalepower

Whale power is a new design for a wind turbine which takes its inspiration from whale fins.

Through the aerodynamic study of the ridges on a whale's flipper, known as tubercles, researchers found that they significantly helped prevent stall, a combination of drag and lost lift.

In aviation terms, stall results in significant loses in altitude. This research led to the development of Whalepower, a company testing this new idea on wind turbines. Their whale-inspired prototypes have doubled the product’s performance at speeds of 17 miles per hour, reducing drag and helping create more efficient turbines.

Lotus effect

Researcher Wilhelm Barthlott was intrigued with certain leaf species, such as the lotus, that manage to remain free of contaminants without using detergents.

Through his research, Barthlott discovered these leaves possess a field of small bumps and waxy crystals which force water to ball up.

Dirt molecules are raised up by the bumps and easily picked up by the water drops.

Along with his colleagues, Barthlott began applying this to products such as exterior paint, this effect is now known as the lotus effect and is evident in new materials such as textiles, wood and paints.