Take a look at the world around you. No matter where we are, there's a chance that we're surrounded by two things — that which was created by humans and that which was created by nature. Believe it or not, many of the human-made products that move society forward feature designs inspired by external influences and environmental elements. For generations, designers in industries around the globe have looked to nature to develop pioneering products that change the way we live.

Today, biomimicry continues to be one of the most influential forces in design. At its core, product design attempts to provide a solution to a problem. As our society moves forward, new challenges present themselves. Even though some of these obstacles may be complex, many solutions can be found simply in nature. Problem-solving requires innovation — for millennia, nature has ingeniously evolved to overcome challenges.

WHAT IS BIOMIMICRY?

Nature is the oldest teacher in the world. Throughout our planet's history, nature has organically engineered solutions to solve issues that threatened its survival. Animals, plants and bacteria have all adapted to challenges in ways that were sustainable. Biomimicry attempts to observe and study nature's time-tested problem-solving patterns and apply these strategic solutions to our own way of life. By emulating these solutions, we can adapt our designs to model those found within nature and potentially create sustainable solutions.

The simplest way to describe biomimetic design is that which imitates life. Many believe that the intersection of technology and biology is where we'll find inspiration for the future of innovative design. Considered a blend of science and art, biomimicry is innovation inspired by nature. Scientific research in the field of biology alone has already shed light on nature's successes and failures throughout billions of years of evolution — life flourishing today has successfully evolved while fossils provide evidence of nature's inability to overcome diverse challenges.

Though human history makes up only a small period of nature's enduring timeline, our evolution is filled with successful and unsuccessful attempts to integrate nature's design into our lifestyle. For years, inventors have looked to nature to inspire their creations. Today, we see biomimicry's continued use in the design of various products within contexts including the construction, aviation and technology industries.

NATURE-INSPIRED PRODUCTS

Using biological solutions to solve human challenges is the core of biomimicry. Many of the problems we continue to deal with today have already been explained in nature. For example, humans have been fascinated with flight for thousands of years. Eventually, the study of birds resulted in the first design of a "flying machine," which eventually became the airplanes we use today.

Nature has a huge influence in our lives, even in ways we may not be readily aware of. Everything from the colors we choose for products to the temperatures that we set our lighting systems to are all influenced by our connection with nature. Some great examples of biomimetic integration into our everyday lives include designs in architecture, transportation, technology and consumer products.

BIOMIMICRY IN ARCHITECTURE

Shelter is a basic necessity, and long before structures were built, humans looked to nature for safe housing. It should come as no surprise then that many architects continue to use a biomimicry approach in the design of homes, buildings and other structures. Some of these designs may be functional, such as improving the way air flows throughout the building. Others may be purely aesthetic to make the building's appearance mimic the surrounding environment through the use of colors, textures or materials.

Biomimetic architecture focuses on incorporating nature into structures. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including through the use of shapes reminiscent of those in our environment, architectural designs used by animals in their habitats or even the integration of living organisms into the building itself. The following three examples showcase biomimetic design in global architecture:

Sagrada Familia (Barcelona), The Gherkin (London), BIQ Building (Hamburg)

Sagrada Familia in Barcelona: This cathedral in Spain is still unfinished since its construction began in the 1800s. The architect, Antoni Gaudi, believed that nature provided the best example of construction and used these elements in both the interior and exterior of the church. The tall columns jutting from floor to ceiling are reminiscent of a forest while the skylights reflect light throughout the space.

The Gherkin in London: This skyscraper is one of the most iconic in England as well as the world. As one of the first structures designed in an environmentally progressive way, its architects modeled its ventilation system after the ways sea sponges and anemones direct water flow through their bodies.

BIQ Building in Hamburg: Known as the algae house, the BIQ building in Germany has living micro algae incorporated into its design. Deemed a "bioreactor facade," this building creates a sun filter in the summer and allows more sunlight in during the winter. The algae used throughout the building's shell are then harvested and recycled into bio gas used in the building.

Windows are elements of nearly every building, but unfortunately, they create potential hazards for birds. It's not uncommon for a bird to fly into a window — millions of them die each year as a result. The transparency of the glass can make them believe it is nonexistent while the window's reflection can encourage the bird to fly into or attack the glass. One company has created a biomimetic glass based on the UV reflective properties of spider webs that birds naturally avoid.

As technology advances, so do the plans for more biomimetic designs. One designer has proposed a corporate campus that prioritizes ecological integration. Structures on the campus will be open and use natural light and ventilation. The materials will be as environmentally conscious and sustainable as possible, the spaces within the office include a balance of nature and functionality, and the exterior of the campus will feature immense amounts of water and plants. The designer hopes that this is the prototype for the future of ecological architecture.

BIOMIMICRY IN TRANSPORTATION

Many structures display biomimetic designs, and there are just as many ways to travel to these destinations with nature-inspired transportation options. From killer whale-inspired submarines used for recreation and octopus-inspired propulsion systems for boats to prototype designs that may enable vehicles and vessels to move faster and dive deeper, biomimicry in transportation is more common than you may think.

One of the best examples demonstrating how the observation and study of nature birthed the creation of a major transportation breakthrough is the airplane. Leonardo da Vinci studied birds in hopes of discovering how to create a machine that enabled humans to fly. This concept was popular for hundreds of years, and although it successfully led to the creation of some gliders, it wasn’t until the 1900s that the Wright brothers were able to enhance these early designs and create a controlled and sustainable flight machine — the airplane.

A more contemporary example of biomimicry in action within the transportation industry is the Shinkansen bullet train. Bullet trains are fast and efficient, but their extreme speeds previously caused sonic booms when they emerged from tunnels, resulting in noise pollution and tunnel damage. Designers looked to the Kingfisher, a bird that travels between air and water fluidly due to its beak design, then updated the Shinkansen trains to have a front end similar to the Kingfisher beak’s shape, which increased speed and efficiency while decreasing noise.

Shinkansen trains in Japan, inspired by the Kingfisher

Another modern design is the Bionic Car, which the Mercedes Benz company designed with influence from the boxfish. This design implementation proved to be very enlightening. The boxfish has a low flow resistance and drag, making it seem like an excellent animal for a vehicle to mimic. However, when applied to a car out of water, it failed to reduce drag. It actually increased the car’s instability, and Mercedes Benz abandoned the idea.

The Mercedes Bionic Concept Car, inspired by the Yellow Boxfish

Aside from the vehicles in which we travel, designers are looking toward nature to potentially solve issues related to traffic and mapping. Although GPS is now integrated and fully functional on nearly every mobile phone, navigational devices are vital pieces of equipment that designers will continually seek to improve. By studying chains of bacteria that interact with magnetic fields in aquatic habitats, researchers see the potential to use these magnetosomes to enhance navigation on land, in the sea and the air.

Another aquatic inspiration, mosquito fish, move in groups that are highly coordinated even as the speed of the group changes. Each fish is constantly adjusting its speed and direction based on the other fish surrounding them. This continuous and constant response prevents the group from coming in contact with each other. When applied to cars, this could help prevent traffic collisions. There’s also a potential for driver-less cars to use the same type of response signaling to enable these machines to operate on the road safely.

Technology and Other Consumer Products Developed From Biomimicry

Although bullet trains were inspired by the beaks of Kingfisher birds and wind turbines have been modeled after humpback whales, not all biomimetic products need to be large or complex. In fact, nature is inspiring engineers to observe animal traits to create solutions for smaller products. Some other biomimicry design examples include:

Antimicrobial film modeled after sharkskin: The skin of a shark is an evolutionary trait that increases its speed and prevents microorganisms from latching onto the skin. Designers created a biomimetic sharkskin swimsuit, which delivered impressive results during its use in the Olympics. This antimicrobial film is also being incorporated into hospitals to prevent cross-contamination of bacteria.

Antimicrobial material inspired by sharkskin

Camouflage-inspired by cephalopods: Squids can change their skin color to protect themselves from predators. Researchers have developed a device that can detect its surroundings and blend in appropriately. These light sensors can create a type of artificial skin that matches the environment and can change with its surroundings.

Ventilation systems mimicking animal homes: The ways animals construct their shelters is another aspect of biomimicry that designers observe. Air flow is essential for all living creatures, especially those that live in hot climates. Termite mounds use a system of air pockets to produce ventilation through convection. Engineers are creating ventilation systems for human-made structures that will use external air to cool interior spaces, similar to termite mounds.

Similarly, some designers also look to the anatomy of birds livings in colder climates to learn more about efficient heat exchange patterns to maximize HVAC efficiency. Other ways animals are inspiring the innovation of heating and cooling products include the study of natural moisture absorption by ticks to pull humidity from interior spaces and improving fan efficiency by studying whale flappers.

CHALLENGES TO BIOMIMICRY

Biomimicry is an innovative approach to problem-solving that has yielded plenty of successful results. When applied in the right context, biomimetic solutions can be revolutionary. As demonstrated in the use of biomimicry in the design of architecture, transportation, technology and consumer products, biomimicry innovation inspired by nature is a highly effective problem-solving approach. Biomimicry design has the potential to impact our daily lives in a variety of other ways. Unfortunately, many possible biomimetic design solutions still have yet to come to fruition.

Like many other design approaches, biomimicry is not without its limits. For every great biomimicry success that changes the world, like Velcro, there are just as many innovative ideas that cannot be implemented successfully. Although there is no shortage of inspiration or ideas, many solutions are not practical to develop and distribute. Unless the designer has substantial financial backing or is working within a corporation that provides resources during the design and launch of the product, some products cannot materialize.

Another issue challenging biomimetic designers is a lack of necessary information. Recall that da Vinci was able to begin the first drafts for a flying machine, but it took hundreds of years for his ideas to find worldwide success. Due to the limited knowledge or understanding of some elements in nature, designers may not be able to gain the information they need to implement their designs successfully. Even if this knowledge has been discovered and recorded, informational accessibility across systems, industries and regions becomes another hurdle.

Two other challenges include prospecting and relevance. A detailed understanding of biology is often needed for biomimicry research and design. Without this relevant knowledge, it may be difficult for any designer to create a viable solution adapted from nature. Most designers follow a design process to solve a problem. However, they might not find the information they're looking for in certain aspects of nature. For instance, the Mercedes Benz boxfish car was not successful — perhaps studying a flying creature would have yielded the desired results.

NATURE — INSPIRING INNOVATION AND DESIGN

Our environment has a substantial influence on our lives. It shapes our growth and development and impacts the way we interact and engage with the world around us. Even in the most human-made of contexts, nature's influence can be felt via biomimicry design. Architecture, transportation, technology and consumer products are just some of the nearly limitless applications biomimicry can enhance and improve.

At Y Studios, we understand that design should be intuitive and organic. The way we use products needs to integrate seamlessly into the way we live. Our culture-driven design approach incorporates elements of biomimetic design so we can successfully create solutions that blend biology with technology. We believe that integrating nature's influence into our surroundings is the ideal way to achieve sustainable solutions for a myriad of problems.

To learn more about how our award-winning designs bring a natural balance to the way you live your life, connect with us today.