Biomimicry in Engineering
Nature's Strongest Material Comes From Sea Snails.mp4Nature's Strongest Material? 1:28min
What is a limpet?
What is so special about limpet's teeth - other than than they are strong?
Goethite is a mineral in limpet teeth containing oxygen, hydrogen and iron. Goethite is not particularly strong, so HOW doe goethite give strength to the limpet's teeth?
Goethite is brittle - which means it can crack and break. So, what helps the limpet teeth not to crack and break?
Limpets are small sea snails that cling to rocks. Their teeth may be the strongest substance found in nature, stronger even than spider silk. Usually a strong shape or structure will lose some of its strength when it is made larger, but his is not the case with limpet teeth. They are are strong at any size. Goethite is a mineral in their teeth that is not particularly strong, and can be brittle, but it forms fibers that are laced through a second material, which helps to give that second material strength. The second material is a protein called chitin that makes up the basic structure of the teeth. It is a bit more flexible, so it makes up for goethite's brittleness.
Scientists and engineers want to copy the structure of the limpet's teeth and use it in cars, boats and aircraft.
What is Biomimicry and How is It Used in Engineering? 6:49min
What is biomimicry?
What three animals were used as models in building the bullet train?
What are some other ways that biomimicry can be used to help us solve problems or make the world better?
The world is poorly designed. But copying nature helps..mp4Biomimicry is the design and production of materials, structures and systems that are modeled on biological things or processes. The video describes how a train was designed based on a penguin's body, an owl's wings and a kingfisher's beak. Some other possible uses of biomimicry include designing paint to dry like a leaf's surface so that it will stay clean, or copying the communication system of ants to make better living spaces, or to design software used in self-driving cars. We can even study nature to find out how to better recycle resources.
Think about the things you see outside in your yard, or in the quad or in Kit Carson Park. Think about the plants and animals you see. What are they good at? What abilities do they have that we don't? Take a few minutes to let your mind wander. Then, think about some ways we might copy their characteristics or habits in order to solve problems. What are some ideas you have?
Before looking at the link to the right, think about different ways plants and animals react to their environment. What kinds of plants, animals or insects could inspire inventions or innovations in engineering?
