Learn from Nature - How Nature revolutionized the field of Design.

Introduction

We have the innate potential to create a world that is harmonious, regenerative, and supports the well-being of all Life. As a young species, we are fortunate enough to have guidance to help us rise to this challenge. Our planet-mates, the fantastic meshwork of plants, animals, and microbes, have done billions of years of research and development.

What is Biomimicry?

Also known as Biomimetics, it is the interdisciplinary field of creating products by reverse engineering nature. Simply put, it helps researchers study natural phenomena to obtain ideas from nature and apply them to solve real world human problems. While nature has been a source of artistic inspiration since time immemorial, the field was only popularized in 1997 with the launch of the book by Janine Benyus, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Thereafter came the emergence of AskNature.org, which now provides a web database of over 1700 publicly available biological strategies.

Top 10 Nature inspired Innovations:-

Velcro (inspired by burrs):

• Nature Inspiration: Swiss engineer George de Mestral was inspired by the way burrs stuck to his dog's fur during a walk.
• Product: Velcro is a hook-and-loop fastening system widely used in clothing, shoes, and various other applications.

Shinkansen Bullet Train (inspired by kingfisher beak):

• Take for example, Japan’s early version of Shinkansen Bullet trains. They were making a loud boom on travelling through tunnels at nearly 186 mph, causing structural damage. The team of designers noticed that kingfisher birds have specialized beaks which allows them to dive into water to hunt and make a minimal splash. So the engineering team studied this bird’s head for understanding high-speed streamlining, and created the next generation 500 series trains. These trains were 10% faster, consumed 15% less electricity, and did not create any “tunnel boom”. (T-hub, 2020)

Robotics inspired by Swarm Intelligence — It is the collective behaviour displayed by living organisms, to effectively coordinate their activities via decentralized control. This includes ant and bee colonies, hawks hunting, bird flocking, animal herding and fish schooling. This concept is being used by NASA in deploying swarms of tiny spacecrafts for space exploration, and by the medical community in deploying swarms of nanobots for precision delivery of drugs. (Simonsen, 2018)

Bionic Handling Assistant (inspired by elephant trunk):

• Nature Inspiration: Festo's Bionic Handling Assistant is inspired by an elephant's trunk's versatile and flexible movements.
• Product: The robotic arm is capable of delicate and precise movements, suitable for various industrial applications.

Bulletproof Clothing (inspired by fish scales):

• Nature Inspiration: The tough and flexible scales of fish like the arapaima influenced the development of flexible and strong bulletproof clothing.
• Product: Lightweight and flexible body armor made from materials inspired by fish scales.

The human processor model: The basic working of a computer is described using the IPO or input-processing-output model. This information processing metaphor has been inspired by the way our human brain thinks. (Rebus, n.d.)

Process of Design Thinking Inspired by Biomimicry:

In one of our ‘Foundations of HCI’ readings, Thinking by Tim Brown, the author states that “people outside professional design have a natural aptitude for design thinking, which the right development and experiences can unlock”. This design thinking process can help develop a design thinker’s personality profile, be it a student who doesn’t have his/her own design process, or an educator interested in sharing biology in ways that create interest with non-biologists and be helpful in solving their respective problems. (Brown, 2008)

Innovation is not exclusive to humans, and design thinking is not limited to designers. There exists untapped potential in both nature's resources and the problem-solving abilities found within individuals across diverse fields of expertise. The key lies in opening our minds to the possibility of harnessing this potential. It is essential to recognize that motivation derived from nature alone is insufficient; the crux of biomimicry thinking lies in the translation of biological inspiration into practical solutions. The true essence of biomimicry is realized when we effectively apply insights from nature to address real-world challenges.