
Biomimicry

Why Biomimicry?
Biomimicry In Action

Defining the Question
How does nature ______?

Finding Bio Models
Examples in nature that solve the problem

Extracting Design Principles
Converting biology terms into engineering and business

Digging Deeper
What more can we learn from this natural model to inspire development?
The Design Process
Featured Media
Shinkansen Bullet Train

The Problem: Needed a train that could travel at high speeds with reduced noise
The Biological Model: The kingfisher's beak allows it to dive into water without a splash
The Innovation: The more streamlined Shinkansen train not only travels more quietly, it now travels 10% faster and uses 15% less electricity
'Candy Coated' Vaccines

The Problem: Vaccines require refrigeration and many are lost due to breaks in refrigeration during shipment and treatment
The Biological Model: The tardigrades protect themselves from extreme cold or dehydration by going dormant in a sugar coated glassy state, rehydration brings the animals back to life
The Innovation: Wrapping the vaccine virus in trehalose keeps the virus active for six months at a temperature up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit
Sharkskin

The Problem: How to move more quickly through the water?
The Biological Model: Shark skin is covered by dermal denticles in a series of ribbed individual scales with longitudinal grooves which help the shark move effortlessly through the water
The Innovation: Manufacturing boat surfaces after shark skin allow them to move faster and reduces the amount of organisms sticking to the hull by 30%
'Hive Mind' Power Grid

The Problem: The different parts of the electrical grid don't talk to each other
The Biological Model: Bee hives
The Innovation: Create a network, able to balance loads during pricey peak-power periods when electricity is expensive or unreliable, by providing controllers that communicate wirelessly with each other to maximize efficiency
Water Harvesting

The Problem: Water scarcity in deserts and dry regions
The Biological Model: The Darkling beetle is able to collect water from fog by positioning its back into the foggy wind, the dew collects on the beetles back which has a Teflon-like coating that allows it to slide into its mouth
The Innovation: A surface made up of hundreds of grooves that grow wider at the bottom with a slick waxy surface made from a pitcher plant to aid in the runoff of collected dew
'Gecko Feet' Adhesive

The Problem: How to create adhesive-equipped robots that can catch space junk such as defunct satellites
The Biological Model: Gecko Feet have a structural design that allows them to climb walls
The Innovation: An artificial gecko adhesive that can carry a human up a wall, and in zero gravity can grip and slow down a solar panel, moving it in another direction


With over six years of experience in new technology development, I have applied biomimicry to countless projects resulting in innovative and successful chemical and engineering designs. The biomimicry design process I follow has been honed over the years to create novel and sustainable products and systems that bring value. Biomimicry has been shown to streamline front end innovation and increase the likelyhood of a projects success, let me show you how you can use biomimicry in your next project!

Contact me to set up a free one hour consultation!
