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Biomimicry reveals natural solutions to humankind’s engineering dilemmas
The life-giving beauty of our home planet revealed in the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Planet Earth documentary series has awakened us to the significance of preserving our delicate biosphere. But beneath the vivid imagery, the BBC has yet to document a lesser-known twist on nature’s contribution to humankind. A kingfisher bird aiding Japanese engineers in solving a glitch in the world’s fastest bullet train, or termites inspiring the construction of a sustainable office building in Zimbabwe are the most recent innovations yielded by a concept called biomimicry.
From the Greek root words “bios,” meaning life, and “mimesis,” to imitate, biomimicry is the study and practice of seeking solutions to human problems using nature as the model. Countless examples exist of design inspired by nature. Solar panels are the most basic, as they imitate a leaf that utilizes the sun’s energy through photosynthesis. Others mimic the highly water-repellent leaves of the lotus flower, which inspired products such as GreenShield, a fabric finish that provides a protective coating to textiles with minimal environmental harm. The lotus flower has also given rise to the concept of dirt- and water-resistant paint, a useful feature for many modern homes.
In the case of the kingfisher bird, its contour revealed a useful solution. Japanese engineers faced a significant problem with the Shinkansen bullet train as it moved in and out of tunnels at 200 miles per hour, producing a thunderclap caused by air pressure changes. The noise disturbance was resolved and the train made more energy-efficient when its front end was reshaped to imitate the kingfisher’s streamlined bill, which allows it to dive effortlessly into water.
Point Loma Nazarene University biology professor Dr. Mike Mooring discussed biomimicry at an April 7 film forum on campus sponsored by Students for Environmental Action and Awareness, a student-led club that raises awareness of environmental issues through its participation in restoration events, letter-writing campaigns and partnering with local organizations like Volunteer San Diego.
“If we watch what nature does, things are constantly being recycled,” says Mooring. “There’s no dumping things into a landfill at the end of the day.”
Even insects have modeled sustainability, as termite mounds have inspired architects to construct a self-cooling office building in Harare, Zimbabwe that uses 90 percent less energy for ventilation than modern structures. Through a network of air channels, termites are able to maintain a constant temperature inside the nest despite extreme external weather conditions.
Wasteful manufacturing processes, ineffective products and energy-sapping infrastructure are just a few of the problems taxing Earth’s supply of resources at a troubling speed. Green engineering has become much more than the reduction of paper waste and the implementation of energy-saving light bulbs. Individuals are learning how to let nature be the tutor in observing the age-old secrets of the plant and animal kingdoms.
This brand of forward thinking is utilized by companies such as PAX Scientific, a California-based design firm committed to employing “natural fluid flow” in the development of highly efficient industrial equipment. With a specific focus on rotary devices like fans and turbines, the company has optimized its products’ features by reducing drag and increasing output.
“Naturally brilliant” is how local wireless giant Qualcomm CDMA Technologies has marketed its recent energy-preserving screen displays for the 3G electronics it supplies. By studying the iridescence of butterfly wings and the peacock’s plumage, the company’s Mirasol displays were engineered with the use of reflected light, which the human eye perceives much more sharply than a standard backlit image. Reflected light allows for maximum brilliance in displays through the use of a process called interferometric modulation. The displays operate using two plates: a thin film stack on a glass substrate and a reflective membrane. A small voltage causes electrostatic attraction between the plates that regulates the gap of air between the two, determining the color that will be reflected. Blue light is produced by the smallest gap between the plates and red by the largest.
Janine Benyus, author, speaker and president of the nonprofit Biomimicry Institute, states the benefit of this nature-centered perspective on the institute’s Web site: “The more our world functions like the natural world, the more likely we are to endure on this home that is ours, but not ours alone.” Benyus also founded the Biomimicry Guild, a consultancy aimed at aiding engineers, designers and architects discover sustainable solutions for their businesses.
Benyus is the keynote speaker for the San Diego Zoo’s first Biomimicry Educational Conference on October 2, 2009, in partnership with the Biomimicry Institute, the University of California San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego State University and the City of San Diego.
For more information on biomimicry, visit zoobiomimicry.org, biomimicryinstitute.org or biomimicryguild.com.
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