Drops of water on lotus leaves, a speeding dragon fly dashing to the next tree, a Namibian beetle storing and harvesting rain water…..Guess what they all have in common? They have all acted as models upon which scientists have based their innovations to solve everyday problems.
Scientists have been fascinated by these feats in nature and have wondered if they could borrow some of these ideas. This newly emerging field of science is called Biomimicry. It has gained prominence over the last decade. Janine Benyus, a scientist who founded the movement has been a pioneer in this field and she urges all of us to look to nature and learn from it to find solutions for a variety of design problems. This field is especially valuable to us now at a time when the buzz words are global warming, green technology, and energy crisis.
Hooks and Loops: Velcro
Inspired by nature, Velcro was designed by George Mestral, a Swiss scientist in the 1950’s. Mestral had returned from his walk when he noticed that the seeds (or burrs) of the burdock plant had stuck to his clothing. On closer examination he noticed that the tiny ‘hook’ like structures of the burdock had got interlocked with the ‘loops’ on his clothing. He developed this idea further and tested various materials to mimic the burrs that had stuck to his clothing. Thus,Velcro was born.
Jollbot: A leap of faith
A student researcher designed a robot that uses the same principle of that of grasshoppers. Unlike some animals that can use their muscle power to hop, grasshoppers have to rely on stored energy much like that of a wound up spring. This energy propels them from one point to another.
