Mother nature has always been the leading source of inspiration amongst engineers and innovators. Through a concept known as biomimicry, human beings have “copied” technology found in nature to create our own inventions. Here is a list of unique inventions that were inspired by nature.
1. Velcro
Velcro is a popular fastener commonly used in clothes and accessories such as shoes. However, do you know this remarkable technology was borrowed from nature? While hiking with his dog in the 1940s, a Swiss engineer called George De Mestral noticed how burdock burrs have a unique mechanism of sticking to an animal’s fur. Upon further inspection of the seeds stuck on his dog, he was inspired to create a fastener using this technology. By 1955, George had created Velcro and obtained a patent for it.
2. Microneedles
People generally dislike mosquitoes because if they are not spreading malaria, their high-pitched whine can cause a sleepless night. However, besides these negative connotations associated with mosquitoes, they inspired microneedles. Mosquitoes have a very small proboscis that allows them to penetrate a person’s skin without even noticing. This design was borrowed by scientists who created painless microneedles.
3. Self-Cooling Buildings
In 1991, a Zimbabwean architect, Mick Pearce, was hired to design the largest office building the country had ever witnessed. One of the problems Pearce ran into was that the company did not want to invest in air conditioning, so he had to find another way to solve the problem.
Interestingly, Mick Pearce drew inspiration from a mound located on a golf course. In this mound, he observed that cool air at the bottom is channeled upwards, and hot air is emitted through vents. He copied this design and was able to complete the task at hand. Mick Pearce was also hired to design a similar building in Australia.
4. Wetsuits
Sea mammals have a layer of fatty tissue on their skin, which keeps them warm when diving into deep and cold waters. On the other hand, beavers do not boast of such a feature. So, how can they stay warm when getting into cold water?
Scientists observed that beavers have thick fur that traps air in between hairs. As a result, this animal remains dry and warm when they enter cold water. In an act of biomimicry, scientists created a wetsuit and trapped air between rubber. Strangely enough, this project was a success and gave birth to wetsuits.
5. Flight
The story of the Wright Brothers is the perfect definition of how nature can inspire groundbreaking technology. Even though modern airplanes are incredibly sophisticated, birds purely inspired this concept. Even before the Wright brothers, innovators had created designs on how humans can fly by studying the practices of birds.
6. Bullet Trains
Trains are expected to make a lot of noise when entering or leaving tunnels at speeds up to 200 mph. However, the Shinkansen Bullet Train is exceptionally silent because its design was inspired by the beak of the Kingfisher.
This bird can dive into a water body at fast speeds without making a splash, which may alert its prey. After extensive research, scientists noticed this is due to the bird’s long and narrow beak. The Shinkansen has a long, narrow shape at the front that allows it to be silent and travel faster without using much electricity.
7. Camouflage
The chameleon’s ability to change colors depending on its surroundings is undeniably one of nature’s unique wonders. Intrigued by this concept, humans imitated camouflage, especially when hunting and in the military. Soldiers and hunters wear clothes or uniforms that blend in with their surroundings. This makes it difficult for enemies or prey to spot them from a distance. Camouflage comes in handy in surprise attacks.
8. Self-Cleaning Paint
For a long time, property owners had to touch up paint occasionally after it got dirty. It was not until 1999 that Sto Building Company launched a self-cleaning paint called the Lotusan. This idea was borrowed from the Lotus plant, whose leaves are extremely hydrophobic, so they can easily repel water and dirt. This Lotus effect was integrated into paint and ensured surfaces such as exterior walls could look neater for much longer.
9. Bionic Cars
In 2005, Mercedes launched the first bionic car. This is a vehicle that boasts of a lightweight design and remarkable aerodynamics inspired by the shape of a boxfish. At the time, Mercedes wanted to create a car with minimal drag and improved fuel consumption. Unfortunately, this technology didn’t last long because researchers discovered that bionic cars are unstable. This is why there are no bionic cars on our roads today.
10. Bird Safe Glass
Every day, hundreds of birds die from flying into glass windows. This doesn’t just affect birds but also poses a risk to property owners. To reduce such accidents, a company called Ornilux created bird-safe glass. They imitated the strands of a spider web, which are visible to birds, unlike the case with transparent glass. The bird-safe glass features crisscross UV patterns.