Studying animals and application

[Dubious]

Shark skin and industrial engineers--400m yrs:

3 Cool Materials That Mimic Shark Skin - AOL On

Since the discovery of bacteria, conventional thinking has led people to kill microorganisms to control them. Yet, overuse and abuse of antibiotics, disinfectants and other kill strategies have contributed to the creation of superbugs such as MRSA and others commonly found in hospitals and the general community. As biocidal approaches have made bacteria stronger, new strategies are needed to manage bacterial growth while contributing to an overall healthy environment to protect people. Such a solution may be found in Sharklet™.

Sharklet is a simple solution for a complex problem. The patented, microscopic pattern manufactured by Sharklet Technologies creates a surface upon which bacteria do not like to grow. The Sharklet pattern is manufactured onto adhesive-backed skins that may be applied to high-touch areas to reduce the transfer of bacteria among people. Sharklet Technologies is also developing Sharklet-patterned medical devices including a Sharklet Urinary Catheter to help reduce hospital-acquired infections.

While the Sharklet pattern holds great promise to improve the way humans co-exist with microorganisms, the pattern was developed far outside of a laboratory. In fact, Sharklet was discovered via a seemingly unrelated problem: how to keep algae from coating the hulls of submarines and ships. In 2002, Dr. Anthony Brennan, a materials science and engineering professor at the University of Florida, was visiting the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Oahu as part of Navy-sponsored research. The U.S. Office of Naval Research solicited Dr. Brennan to find new antifouling strategies to reduce use of toxic antifouling paints and trim costs associated with dry dock and drag.

Dr. Brennan was convinced that using an engineered topography could be a key to new antifouling technologies. Clarity struck as he and several colleagues watched an algae-coated nuclear submarine return to port. Dr. Brennan remarked that the submarine looked like a whale lumbering into the harbor. In turn, he asked which slow moving marine animals don’t foul. The only one? The shark.

Dr. Brennan was inspired to take an actual impression of shark skin, or more specifically, its dermal denticles. Examining the impression with scanning electron microscopy, Dr. Brennan confirmed his theory. Shark skin denticles are arranged in a distinct diamond pattern with tiny riblets. Dr. Brennan measured the ribs’ width-to-height ratios which corresponded to his mathematical model for roughness – one that would discourage microorganisms from settling. The first test of Sharklet yielded impressive results. Sharklet reduced green algae settlement by 85 percent compared to smooth surfaces.

While the U.S. Office of Naval Research continued to fund Dr. Brennan’s work for antifouling strategies, new applications for the pattern emerged. Brennan evaluated Sharklet’s ability to inhibit the growth of other microorganisms. Sharklet proved to be a mighty defense against bacteria.

Similar to algae, bacteria take root singly or in small groups with the intent to establish large colonies, or biofilms.

Similar to other organisms, bacteria seek the path of least energy resistance. Research results suggest that Sharklet keeps biofilms from forming because the pattern requires too much energy for bacteria to colonize. The consequence is that organisms find another place to grow or simply die from inability to signal to other bacteria.

Dr. Brennan’s and Sharklet Technologies’ research has demonstrated Sharklet’s success in inhibiting the growth of Staph a., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, VRE, E. coli, MRSA and other bacterial species that cause illness and even death.

Sharklet Technologies is proud to produce products with the Sharklet pattern to help make the world a healthier, environmentally safer and better place. We’re equally honored to offer a biomimetic technology inspired by the shark which will allow humans and microorganisms to coexist in a sustainable and healthy way.

source: Technology | Sharklet

Speedo Fastskin full body suit - mimicking shark thermodynamics

Ever wonder why sharks have scales? They enable smooth, fast swimming, eliminating the drag caused by eddies that can form as water passes over the surface of an object. Considering that in the Olympics, the difference between winning and losing can be one-tenth of a second, crafting synthetic shark skin into swimsuits for athletes can definitely provide an edge. Speedo’s FastSkin line of swimsuits incorporates not just the texture of shark scales, but also the variability, changing the shape and texture over various parts of the bod for optimal aerodynamics. Applied to the exterior of ships, the same concept could even make Navy fleets faster and more energy-efficient.

BWH – Research: Dr. Jeffrey Karp: Biomimicry-Inspired Work Featuring Porcupine Quill Study | The Karp Lab

The Karp Lab | Category Archive | Research

 

[Marshmallow]

wow look at dis! @Talon sis

Butterfly — thermal imaging
When you think about butterflies, you think of warm lazy days, gorgeous colours and probably pretty things, like rainbows and flowers. However, researchers at the General Electric Research Centre and the University of Albany, New York, see something more. They have developed a material that is inspired by the wings of the Morpho butterfly that enables them to better detect heat while cooling more efficiently.

The butterfly's wings (like those of all butterflies) are covered with tiny scales; in the case of the Morpho, the scales reflect some wavelengths of light, while absorbing others, which creates an iridescent effect. When the butterfly's wing heats up, it changes colour — an effect that the research team believes could be duplicated to produce cheap thermal-imaging sensors.

Another company that has drawn inspiration from the butterfly wing is Qualcomm for its Mirasol colour E Ink display, which has yet to hit the commercial market outside of Asia.

 

[Dubious]

The Coconut – Nature’s Best Packaging Design
The humble and tropically ubiquitous coconut, besides producing one of the tastiest cocktail starters out there (mmmm…..piña coladas!), is one the best package design solutions for a perishable food item ever designed by nature. Not only do coconuts survive falling from heights of 50 feet to the ground (landing on anything from cushy golf courses to lava rock), but they often travel thousands of miles via ocean waves, still perfectly protected. Viable Caribbean coconuts, which are the seeds of the Coconut palm, have been found as far north as Norway, which is why the tree has propagated so successfully from 26 latitude North to 26 degrees latitude South.



Read more: Natural Packaging: The Coconut Solves Shipping Problems Cheaply and Easily | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

Banana Leaves: A Classic Tool For Packaging The Future
In my childhood, my classmates and I are fond of using the banana leaves to pack our lunch. It creates an appetizing smell, enhanced food flavor and promotes less cleaning works after meal, as we only throw the used leaves in the garbage bin. As time flies, plastic lunch boxes are hitting the market leaving the banana leaves an obsolete one. Today, with the aim to help save the environment, I am surprised and happy at the same time seeing the banana leaves as one of the catalysts in saving the earth. The Packaging the Future series includes the banana leaves as one of the better packaging solutions.

source: Banana Leaves: A Classic Tool For Packaging The Future | Green Design Blog

 

[Marshmallow]

im luvin this study

Spider — emergency robot
We all know that spider silk is astonishingly strong, able to exhibit (in the case of draglines) a tensile strength similar to that of alloy steel. But it's the way a spider can move that interested researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, Germany. Spiders have no muscles in their legs, instead moving them by using hydraulic pressure. Pretty interesting, huh? It's this that gives spiders the ability to move the way they do, crawling, running and even leaping great distances (for their size).

It was with this in mind that the researchers built a spider-bot that, its builders say, can enter zones that are off-limits to humans — for example, due to a chemical spill. Its legs move using hydraulics, allowing it to move with agility over uneven ground. And the coolest bit? It was made using a 3D printer, which means that it can be manufactured quickly and cheaply.

 

[Dubious]

When a team of British scientists needed to put a robot into the sea to test pollution levels, they realized that nothing would be able to navigate the waters better than a fish. So they designed a completely autonomous, wi-fi connected, life-like robotic fish equipped with chemical sensors that can located the sources of hazardous pollutants in the water. The fish, which transmit the information they collect to a control center while re-charging their batteries at a “charging hub”, were released into the waters in the Spanish port of Gijon in 2010.

Taiwan BioLab Inspired by Nautilus Shell

A nautilus shell is one of nature’s most perfect shapes, and it is from this sophistication that architect Manifred Nicoletti drew inspiration for the BioLab Squadron in Taiwan, which are set to be among the most technologically advanced laboratories on the planet. Nicoletti’s honorable mention-winning proposal not only used the nautilus shape as the basis of the two labs, but delved further into biomimicry with an outer skin pattern that emulates the four symbols attributed to the DNA sequence of the bacteria that would be studied inside the labs.


WhalePower

For millions of years, whales have propelled themselves through heavy water despite their bulk and weight – thanks to a finely honed design that couldn’t be more perfect if all the world’s most talented engineers spent their lives trying to outdo it. Biology professor Dr. Frank Fish (no joke) noticed that the little bumps on the flippers of a humpback whale served an important purpose, increasing their aerodynamic efficiency. Along with Stephen Dewar, Fish co-founded WhalePower, a company turning this discovery into innovative solutions for things like airplanes, submarines and wind turbines. Their most tangible accomplishment thus far is a highly efficient ceiling fan.

Oceanic Biomimicry: 13 Designs Inspired by the Sea | WebEcoist

Nissan’s Fish-Inspired Car Design

Robotic cars may someday make traffic automatic – but it’s important for commuters to retain the ability to navigate around unexpected obstacles. Nissan engineers noted the way schools of fish pack tightly together and move quickly around predators and coral, and applied it to the EPORO, a cartoon-like concept car that uses Ultra Wide Band radio signals and laser measurement technology to mimic this behavior.

“We, in a motorized world, have a lot to learn from the behavior of a school of fish in terms of each fish’s degree of freedom and safety within a school and high migration efficiency of a school itself,” said principal engineer Toshiyuki Andou. “By sharing the surrounding information received within the group via communication, the group of EPOROs can travel safely, changing its shape as needed.”

 

[Marshmallow]

Soldier crabs — computing
This one wasn't so much inspired by animals as it was made out of them. Computer scientists at Japan's Kobo University made a series of channels to serve as logic gates. When released into these channels, soldier crabs — which are well known for their swarming behaviour — could be manipulated into travelling where the scientists wished them to go by casting a shadow over the areas that were off-limits. In this way, they found that they could recreate a functional OR gate.

We have to admit, we don't entirely understand what's going on, but you can read the study for yourself here (PDF).

 

[Dubious]

Robolobsters: Biomimetic Underwater Robot Program

It’s got eight legs, antennae and a protective shell, but this is no ordinary lobster. For one, it can detect mines and send that information back to the military. It’s also made of plastic, metal and wire. Scientists realized that the perfect design for trawling the ocean floor was in the biology of a lobster, and they adapted not just its physical shape and movements but the way its nervous system responds to variable conditions in its environment. Robolobsters will allow detection of mines in places where human direction isn’t possible, potentially saving a lot of lives.

 

[Marshmallow]

Jellyfish Aequorea victoria — fluorescent protein
Green fluorescent protein (GFP) glows bright under ultraviolet light. It has been used by researchers in biochemistry and molecular biology to observe processes that had previously been difficult to see, such as nerve growth, gene expression, cell division and chromosome replication. Because of this, its developers were awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Where did it come from? A small fluorescent jellyfish, called Aequorea victoria, in which the protein glows when it comes into contact with calcium. It was first extracted and purified by marine biologist and organic chemist Osamu Shimomura, who has been working on the protein since around 1960.

 

[Dubious]

Algaerium: Algae-Inspired Design

Going even deeper beyond just biomimicry is ‘Algaerium’, living surfaces and textiles that actually produce biofuels from algae. Marin Sawa’s design was inspired by how efficient natural systems can be without any electronics. She set out to utilize algae’s biological attributes of photosynthesis and bioluminescence to create design products like ornamental plant-based décor and jewelry that is also useful in other ways. The products are ever-evolving, changing color as the algae goes about its natural processes.

Jellyfish Aequorea victoria — fluorescent protein
Green fluorescent protein (GFP) glows bright under ultraviolet light. It has been used by researchers in biochemistry and molecular biology to observe processes that had previously been difficult to see, such as nerve growth, gene expression, cell division and chromosome replication. Because of this, its developers were awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Where did it come from? A small fluorescent jellyfish, called Aequorea victoria, in which the protein glows when it comes into contact with calcium. It was first extracted and purified by marine biologist and organic chemist Osamu Shimomura, who has been working on the protein since around 1960.

This is awesome stuff...we use this in my study here!

 

[Marshmallow]

Namib Desert Beetle — water harvesting
The Namib Desert Beetle lives in one of the driest parts of the world — the Namib Desert in Africa, where rainfall is just 1.4 centimetres a year. Yet somehow, the beetle manages to find enough water to drink. It's actually the beetle's shell wherein the magic resides: its texture of bumps and valleys channels water from morning fog. As the fog comes in contact with the shell, it moves away from the bumps and into the valleys, which then funnel the droplets down so that the beetle can drink the water.

The US's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the US National Science Foundation funded the research that allowed MIT professors Robert Cohen and Michael Rubner to first study, then replicate the phenomenon. The two led a team that developed a material that combines a water-repelling surface with water-attracting bumps, to trap and channel water.

 

[Dubious]

Some idea:
LILYPAD: Floating City for Climate Change Refugees

here are very few urban design solutions that address housing the inevitable tide of displaced people that could arise as oceans swell under global warming.

The Lilypad, by Vincent Callebaut, is a concept for a completely self-sufficient floating city intended to provide shelter for future climate change refugees. The intent of the concept itself is laudable, but it is Callebaut’s phenomenal design that has captured our imagination.

Read more: LILYPAD: Floating City for Climate Change Refugees | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

Syph: Jellyfish-Like Self-Contained Ocean City

In a worst-case scenario world where the earth is so flooded, there’s little land left for human civilization, ocean cities could provide a safe haven. This concept by Arup Biomimetics is not just a single floating city, but a collection of ‘organisms’, clearly inspired by jellyfish. The entirely self-contained cities have trailing appendages performing different energy and water-related functions, drawing in seawater to desalinate or collecting energy from waves.

BioWAVE: Harnessing Wave Power

Just like the little plants that grow on the sea floor, the bioWAVE ocean wave energy system is designed to sway with the movement of the ocean. The buoyant blades capture the force of the waves during optimal energy-harnessing periods but are also able to cease operating and lay down flat in a safe position during extreme conditions to avoid damage. BioPower Systems is currently testing this technology for 250kW, 500kW and 100kW capacities in the hopes of providing power to the Flinders and King Islands off Australia in the short term, and possibly the entire state of Victoria in the long term.

BBC News - Biomimicry: Beaks on trains and flipper-like turbines

Trains with beaks

The design of the high-speed Shinkansen bullet train in Japan was inspired by the beak of a kingfisher


"The high-speed train, Shinkansen bullet train in Japan - instead of having a rounded front, it has something that looks like a beak of a kingfisher, a bird that goes from air to water, one density of medium to another,"

"So as the train enters a tunnel, it's quieter because there is no pressure wave as with ordinary trains; and it uses 15% less electricity, too."

 

[Dubious]

Colliding birds

Certain species of spiders, in particular the Orb Weaver, have certain ultraviolet-reflective materials in their webs' silk, to warn birds about the web's presence.

Birds may not see a regular web, but they spot UV-reflective materials very clearly, thus avoiding destroying the web and the spider's prey.

"It is the reflective and transparent properties of glass that make it dangerous for birds," says Lisa Welch of Ornilux.

"Birds do not 'see' the glass, but instead respond to reflections of sky and vegetation on the glass, seeing a tree to land on or a flight path to the sky."

"The way to make glass visible to birds is to create visual markers on the glass, alerting them to the presence of a solid object."

Using UV-reflective materials on the glass was a solution - the window stays transparent to people, but not to birds.

A number of buildings around Europe and North America now sport this ingenious glass, possibly saving many birds' lives.

 

[Secur]

A self-proclaimed nature nerd, Janine Benyus' concept of biomimicry has galvanized scientists, architects, designers and engineers into exploring new ways in which nature's successes can inspire humanity.

@Secur she mentioned material science

Ever seen the material ' Aerogel ' , Talon ? Out of this world , it appears !

Though , we are no good yet when it comes to mimicking the nature . Sorry and even the bio materials is lacking behind to produce new spare parts for the human body .

 

[Dubious]

Ever seen the material ' Aerogel ' , Talon ? Out of this world , it appears !

Though , we are no good yet when it comes to mimicking the nature . Sorry and even the bio materials is lacking behind to produce new spare parts for the human body .

Well, I was talking more about looking at nature and implementing it into technology then remaking the human...

I did see the aerogel on youtube...

 

[Secur]

Well, I was talking more about looking at nature and implementing it into technology then remaking the human...

I know that Whats wrong with the latter after taking inspiration from the nature itself ?