Being a Mechanical Engineering student, I never took interest in anything but automobiles. But during my first semester at Penn State (Fall 2013), I got to know a lot about biomimetics and its existing examples, in my Engineering Design class. Since then, biomimetics has always been a very fascinating and inspiring concept for me. According to me, it’s a form of modern science which inspires people to imitate nature’s numerous designs and processes to solve modern problems and has helped humanity evolve immensely.

Velcro, even though a very simple product, is widely used throughout the world. Its usage in almost everything we use in our daily lives, amazes me. Velcro, which was invented in 1948 by the Swiss Electrical Engineer George De Mestral uses the mechanism of hook-and-loop fastener in its working. After a hunting trip in the Alps in 1941, George de Mestral took a close look at the burrs of burdock that stuck to his clothes and his dog’s fur. He examined them under a microscope, and noted their hundreds of hooks that caught on anything with a loop such as clothing, animal fur or hair. He then, patented velcro in 1955, subsequently refining and developing its practical manufacture until its commercial introduction in the late 1950’s.

Velcro Hooks.

Velcro Loops.

Since, it’s easy to use, maintenance free and safe, it’s used in a variety of products. Clothing, nuclear power plants, sports, medical operations and even space shuttles use a significant amount of velcro.

After velcro, there have been many such advanced inventions in this field, but humans are always hungry for more. So what’s next? What is going to inspire the human race and get developed into basic utilities later?

References

Hennighausen, A & Roston, E. (2013). 14 Smart Inventions Inspired by Nature: Biomimicry. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/slideshow/2013-08-18/14-smart-inventions-inspired-by-nature-biomimicry.html#slide2

http://inhabitat.com/finding-design-inspiration-in-nature-biomimicry-for-a-better-planet/velco/