Bio-Inspired Innovations by T Goodman

by T Goodman

Bio-Inspired Innovations

Many centuries ago Leonardo da Vinci created hundreds of inventions by watching the way plants and animals work and patterning his creations on their mechanisms and movements. Over the centuries, such inventions and designs became known as biomimicry, biologically inspired designs. Now, in the early 21st century, there is a resurgence in biomimicry, a return to nature for insight and innovation in the belief that, indeed, nothing is more perfect than nature.

Fascinating Sandcastle Worm Inspires Biocompatible Glue For Broken Bones

by T Goodman

Let me introduce you to Phragmatopoma californica, the sandcastle worm, if you haven't already met. This incredibly self-contained worm, found on the southern coast of California, not only gathers its own materials to build its home, but uses its own bio-produced cement to superglue the materials together, creating its own permanent honeycomb housing - under water!

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Sticky Feet Of Green Mussels Inspires New Adhesives

by T Goodman

You've heard of 'sticky fingers?' Well, green mussels, aka Perna viridis, have sticky feet! And that is the secret -- just released by scientists at the University of California Santa Barbara's (UCSB) Marine Science Institute -- of their superior adhesive powers.

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Chew On This: Aircraft That Biomimic The Architecture Of A Tooth

by T Goodman

Looking for an inspiration to build more crash resistant aircraft, mechanical engineers are looking at the architecture of the tooth.

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An Electronic Tongue That Knows Its Sweeteners!

by T Goodman

It's a sweet tongue not a sweet tooth but, after all, it is the tongue and not the tooth that contains one's taste sensors. The new electronic tongue has taste buds that biomimic our own but, so far, it only tastes sweets. What a lucky tongue!

Gecko Grip Findings Will Advance Military, Space Applications

by T Goodman

Despite popular belief, not all geckos are employed by Geico® to star in television commercials. Some of them are walking on glass in science labs while researchers try to figure out just what factors keep them from slipping off! Scientists at the University of Calgary and Clemson University have made that discovery!

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Sweat Proof Fabrics Biomimic Reponse Of Pine Cone To Humidity

by T Goodman

Embarrassing underarm sweat stains on your clothing may soon be a thing of the past. And your comfort moving from arid to humid microclimates, as one does often in urban areas, may improve dramatically... and all with fabrics that biomimic the response of the pine cone to humidity. Read why the pine cone may be the biomimetic hero of the next generation of fabrics.

Electronic Nose Challenges The Dog As Most Sensitive To Human Smell

by T Goodman

While dogs are being cloned for drug-sniffing jobs in South Korea, a kind of mechanical dog is being built in Spain to biomimic the dog's sensitivity to human skin vapors. The developers are calling it the "electronic nose."

Robot Layoffs Essential During Recessionary Times

by T Goodman

What are the robots supposed to do when they are out of work? They can't get unemployment. Most likely, they won't even get to Twitter their friends or check out porn sites, like humans often do when they're laid off.

Humpback Whale Inspires Best Wind Power Turbines: WhalePower Tubercle Technology

by T Goodman

The average humpback whale weighs about 36 tons, yet it is one of the most graceful swimmers, divers, and jumpers in the sea. WhalePower's new wind turbine technology owes its performance to what it has learned from from studying just what makes the humpback whale so aerodynamic.

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Does Your Car Have A Sexy Butt Or A Baby Face?

by T Goodman

Are cars biomimetic, designed to look like people or animals, or have dominant or sweet personalities? The car in this picture was described as having "male lines" and "one of the sexiest butts around."

Bio-Inspired Innovations by T Goodman

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