To make it easy to understand the meaning of biomimetic design, I will state where the word comes from. Biomimetic comes from bio, which means life. And mimesis, which means imitate. A detailed definition is Solving human challenges and problems by examination the natures’ models, system, process in be inspired by them. A nice explanation is given by Janine M. Benyus “It’s about looking to nature for inspiration for new inventions, It’s learning to live gracefully on this planet by consciously emulating life’s genius. It’s not really technology or biology; it’s the technology of biology.  It’s making a fiber like a spider, or lassoing the sun’s energy like a leaf.” http://biomimicry.net/about/biomimicry/a-biomimicry-primer. Observation of nature to get inspired to solve human problems is not an early process. For example, the Leonardo da Vinci and The Wright Brothers all were inspired by birds to unable human to flight.

Biomimetic is different than any other bio-approaches. Biomimetic focus on what we can learn from nature, not what we can extract from their ecosystems. The practice of biomimetic invention can proceed from biology to design where a biological phenomenon suggests a new way to solve a human design challenge. Or from design to biology approach, in which the innovator starts with a human design challenge, identifies the core function, and then reviews how various organisms or ecosystems are achieving that function.

There are enormous examples of biomimetic designs around us; these short case studies highlight concrete examples in design. They demonstrate the power of designs inspired by nature. Also, there is some detailed example in my blog under Personal Interests.

Engineers used the strong material in the spider web silk for parachute lines, suspension bridge cables, and artificial ligaments for medicine. Also, Qualcomm in 2007, commercialized a display technology based on the reflective properties of certain morph butterflies. The technology uses Interferometry Modulation to reflect light so that only the desired color is visible to the eye in each individual pixel of the display. http://environment-ecology.com/biomimicry-bioneers/367-what-is-biomimicry.html

Every type of technology can be used either in good or bad things. However, biomimetic follow a nice path which based in a principle states that “if it can’t be found in nature, there is probably a good reason for its absence. It may have been tried, and long ago edited out of the population. Natural selection is wisdom in action.“ http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/about-us/what-do-you-mean-by-the-term-biomimicry.html