Suspended from translucent threads of a ghostly hammock, the argiope aurantia, commonly known as the North American yellow garden spider, bounces on a carefully constructed circular web that hangs heavy with droplets of dew. The morning sun illuminates her prized creation, as one of nature’s most mysterious and innovative engineers waits patiently for breakfast to arrive.
The recipe for the spider’s silk was once a mystery, but humans have finally unraveled its secret. This biomaterial has motivated scientists to dedicate years of research to understanding the physiology of a creature no larger than a silver dollar. The ongoing effort to synthesize spider silk is just one example of a growing trend, known as "biomimicry," which is blurring the line between nature and technology.
Biomimicry is modeling modern innovations after systems, designs and technologies found in nature. Public recognition of environmental issues such as climate change and dwindling natural resources has mobilized international efforts to incorporate sustainability and nature into the future of design. Humans are expanding their view of planet earth from unconditional provider to include another role: genius in effective design.
Biomimicry, meaning ‘to imitate life,’ was coined in 1998 by author and environmental consultant Janine Benyus. According to her first book, "Biomimicry, Innovation Inspired by Nature," the principles of biomimicry are rooted in our ability as humans to adapt to the current state of our environment using nature as our guide. As innovative as it may seem, this concept has been present in scientific research for years, according to Arunus Oslapas, professor and the industrial design program coordinator for the engineering technology department at Western Washington University.
Oslapas first experimented with biomimicry at the University of Illinois in 1984. Using research on natural hinges, he created the mechanical equivalents of both dragonfly wings and crab claws, which he later applied to the design of a foldable backpack tent.
The rattlesnake fang was the inspiration for the hypodermic needle, submarines use the principle of the fish’s bladder as an underwater ballast and Velcro was inspired by a burdock burr caught in a Swiss engineer’s sock, Oslapas said.
"The impact that biomimicry has had on the field of industrial design is profound; but on the same token it’s so logical to copy nature," Oslapas said.
But only in the past decade have major clients such as NASA, General Electronics and Boeing contracted consultants like Benyus begun to work alongside designers and engineers to draw inspiration from nature.
The Nexia Technologies BioSteel spider silk fiber program in Canada has led the race to commercially produce synthesized spider silk since 2002, according to their Web site. Researchers isolated a specific protein from spider DNA and transferred it into a goat genome. By extracting fibers from the goats’ milk, they were able to spin them into silk.
Although BioSteel silk is only in the beginning stages of development, scientists hypothesize that a perfected version of the biomaterial would be biodegradable, flexible, water proof, and five times stronger than steel. Proposed spider silk products like bullet-proof fabric, bottles, and artificial ligaments could revolutionize the medical, textile and industrial fields.
The Nike Air Talon is a men’s lacrosse cleat that gives athletes superior lockdown and gripping capabilities due to its structural similarities to a talon.
In her book, Benyus said nature is the greatest inventor. Luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz might agree. It is no coincidence the design of the 2008 Bionic concept car bears a striking resemblance to a scaly underwater reef-dweller known as the boxfish. Engineered by a team of automotive researchers, biologists and bionic scientists, the Bionic is the product of a merge between biology and technology.
Modeled to mimic the smooth contours of the tropical boxfish, the Bionic can maintain a maximum speed of 190 mph, according to a Mercedes Benz press release. The fuel-efficient Bionic also borrows the fish’s minimal intake for maximum performance approach to energy consumption. The direct-injection diesel engine consumes 4.3 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, making the car 20 percent more economical than other mid-sized competitors.
The most interesting biometic design Oslapas said he has seen a student produce was also inspired by fish. The underwater breathing of fish inspired the air purifying jacket that senior Noah Dijulios created for a project.
"[The jacket] incorporates gills on the front which take in air, purify it and redirect the clean air into the user’s face," Oslapas said.
The "Lotus Effect" was trademarked in 1997 by a group of German botanists who observed a network of microscopic points coating the leaves’ exterior. Because both water and dirt particles are repelled by the waxy surface, dirt particles are carried away by water drops like debris picked up by a rolling snowball.
The texture of the lotus leaf has been replicated and marketed worldwide as a cleaning product for kitchen utilities, walls and bathtubs. German-based paint manufacture Sto-Lotusan introduced house paint that guarantees a clean exterior for five years without the use of detergents or sandblasting. The product received conflicting reviews from consumers in Europe and Asia concerning the longevity of its effect but is currently being redeveloped at Sto-Lotusan for expansion as an auto paint and roof protectant.
Since 1998, biomimicry has been adopted by both large corporations and individuals as a useful strategy in efforts to preserve the planet. Possibilities currently being explored for the future include using cell-sized robotic devices to "grow" products by manipulating raw materials on an atomic level, batteries that grow like abalone shells and entire self-sustaining communities.
However, according to Benyus, the underlying motives of the humans who invent and manufacture natural innovations will ultimately decide biomimicry’s effect on the environment.
"The aero plane was inspired by bird flight, a wonderful example of biomimicry, but it was quickly employed to drop bombs on people."
- Janine Benyus, "Biomimicry, Innovations Inspired by Nature."