Author Archives: avs5912

Drawing Pins inspired by Cat’s Claws

Toshi Fukaya, an industrial designer at Humanscale, has recently come up with a new Drawing Pins Concept. With its sharp point covered when not in use, this silicone-capped drawing pin guards against pin pricks and scratches, and feels like a pebble in the hand.

The Drawing Pins.

The Drawing Pins.

This idea first struck the designer when he was studying his cat’s claws. A cat’s claws are extended and exposed only in times of need. When drawn back, the claws are enclosed by the fur and paw pads. The Designer was inspired by this magnificent ability of cats to do so, and hence, mimicked this mechanism when designing the drawing pins.

A closer look at the drawing pins.

A closer look at the drawing pins.

The sharp pin is protected by a hollow pad of malleable silicone. The pin is revealed only when the drawing pin is pressed into the pin-up surface and the silicone undergoes compression. It regains its natural shape when the pin is pulled out. The ‘push’ side is composed of solid silicone that encloses the drawing pin’s plastic handle. Even though a small invention, this pin can prove to be useful and cause less injuries.

The mechanism of how the pin works.

The mechanism of how the pin works.

References

Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/18929260907120801/

Seth, R. (2012). Biomimicry Pin. Retrieved from http://www.yankodesign.com/2012/03/28/biomimicry-pin/

 

Mushroom-Inspired Campus in Vietnam

A team of students from the National University of Singapore and University of Melbourne have designed an eco-friendy university campus inspired by the design of mushrooms and the processes that occur within the same, and influenced by biophilic design. The campus was designed keeping its site location in mind, and simultaneously making use of the traditional Vietnamese construction techniques such as ramp earth and rice straw walls that are commonly used in Sapa, Vietnam. Earth-air tunnels, daylighting and rainwater have also been used with the intention of minimising the campus’ energy consumption.

Bird eye view of the campus.

Bird eye view of the campus.

This picture specifies the three phases in which the construction of the campus was carried out.

This picture specifies the three phases in which the construction of the campus was carried out.

The “Mushroom Community Campus”, as it’s popularly known, makes use of earth-air tunnels so as to reduce the need for air-conditioning, which in turn reduces the electricity consumption. It also uses special rainwater harvesting techniques for the primary reason of controlling water consumption. The two above mentioned features mimic naturally occuring systems such as a cluster of mushrooms in the wild.

The campus has earth-air tunnels, whose existence in a way results in reduction of electricity consumption.

The campus has earth-air tunnels, whose existence in a way results in reduction of electricity consumption.

The team borrowed inspiration from a cluster of mushrooms in the wild.

The team borrowed inspiration from a cluster of mushrooms in the wild.

The campus makes use of photovoltaic panels and solar water heating enabling the site to be almost completely self-sustainable and reducing its carbon footprint by more than 70%. Since, the campus serves as a vocational training and research institute focussing on forestry, environment, agriculture, energy-conservation and sustainability management, it will itself play a pivotal role in the future in developing eco-friendly processes and wonderful energy-conservation ideas.

The campus uses special solar water heating processes.

The campus uses special solar water heating processes.

The construction of this campus is a trademark in the science of Biomimicry.

The construction of this campus is a trademark in the science of Biomimicry.

The project was so impressive that it won 2013’s International Tropical Architecture Design Competition held alongside the annual International Green Building Conference in Singapore. Design team members Pham Huu Loc and Ng Pui Shan from the National University of Singapore and Hoang Van Anh from the University of Melbourne have taken a big step in revolutionising the Science of Biomimetics and clearly, have a bright future ahead of themselves.

References

Mushroom-inspired campus clinches top architecture prize for students. Retrieved from http://www.eco-business.com/news/mushroom-inspired-campus-clinches-top-architecture-prize-students/

Mushroom Community Campus Comes Out Tops. Retrieved from http://www.indesignlive.sg/articles/projects/mushroom-community-campus-comes-out-tops

 

 

 

 

The Medical Field using Spider Silk now!

Like all children, my childhood too was full of comics, movies and games. And the genre that used to interest me the most was superhero fiction; Spider-Man being my favourite. The power of Spider-Man lied in his strong and unbreakable webs which were made of spider silk. Even outside Spider-Man comic books, spider silk is known to be one of nature’s strongest materials.  Spider silk is five times stronger than steel, by weight. Silk is both tough and highly dense. One of it’s best mechanical properties is that it’s highly ductile. It can stretch up to five times its relaxed length without breaking.

Scientists have developed a medical product that mimics this property; a flexible tape that can be peeled off a wound without damaging the tissue underneath. The sticky material can be useful in attaching tubes or sensors to the delicate skin or new born babies or elder people. The traditional medical tape being used right now is made by applying a sticky substance onto a thin backing material. In the process of making the tape, researchers first applied a silicon-based film to the backing material. They then used a laser to carve a grid pattern onto the silicon. The grid’s property is that of making some part sticky and other parts non-sticky, just like a spider’s web

Spider Silk should be used in hospitals all over the world now because it is environmentally benign. “They process proteins from water-based solutions without using petroleum products or organic solvents. From a manufacturing point of view, this is very attractive” (O’Brien, 1996). Spider silk is essentially a form of nylon and lasts very long as compared to other materials. This is a great invention in the medical field and can prove to be very safe incase of medical operations.

Professor Shigeyoshi Osaki demonstrates the strength of spider silk by swinging in a hammock supported by threads he harvested.

Professor Shigeyoshi Osaki demonstrates the strength of spider silk by swinging in a hammock supported by threads he harvested.

Here’s link to an interesting video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66QUEnkk4L0

References

Yoneda, Y. (2010). Scientists Unlock Secret Of Super Strong Spider Silk Material. Retrieved from http://inhabitat.com/scientists-unlock-secret-of-spider-silk-which-is-5-times-stronger-than-steel/

(2013). Why Biomimicry Beats Engineering: The Case of Spider Silk. Retrieved from http://www.evolutionnews.org/2013/07/why_biomimicry074541.html

 

 

 

Inspiration of Velcro from Nature

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 Hooks.

Velcro Loops.

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/