NON-SLIP, ADAPTIVE FLOORS
NON-SLIP, ADAPTIVE FLOORS
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"How do we intertwine people, place and nature to create a place for memory, experience and growth?"
Let's ask nature...
UWCSEA DOVER MOVES TO TENGAH!
UWCSEA DOVER MOVES TO TENGAH!
UWCSEA Dover will be relocating to Tengah in 2032, creating an opportunity to reimagine how a campus can serve both people and the planet. Your challenge is to design one specific area of the new campus (stated below) so that it strengthens community connections and deepens our relationship with nature.
Your design must draw on biomimicry—learning from and applying strategies found in the natural world as a way to achieve both sustainability and a sense of belonging. Think about how your space can bring people together, nurture wellbeing, and reduce environmental impact, while taking inspiration from how living systems solve problems.
Site specific information such as location, size, etc are linked below.
"Historically, we have designed buildings and structures to resist nature - to keep it out. We don't consider how we blend, how we embrace and coexist. We’re the only species that does this. We need to look at building in a new way, not look at it in an old way with new materials or processes.
There is no such thing as waste in nature - no such this as unemployment. Everything has a job."
Q. How can we redesign floor surfaces to let nature in, not out. How do we harness and utilise the strategies available in nature to create a surface that is safer for all whilst capturing resources, giving it a job....?
CHALLENGE-SPECIFIC STATEMENT
Rain makes floors slippery and unsafe. Could floors also harvest energy, manage water, or guide people?
Your task: Design flooring for walkways, and outdoor areas that reduces the risk of slipping in wet tropical conditions while serving another important function (e.g., energy generation, biodiversity support, water reclamation, or comfort).
YOUR DESIGN SHOULD
Minimise slips and falls in wet conditions.
Be comfortable for walking and standing.
Include an additional function (e.g., energy harvesting, cooling, sound reduction).
Be easy to clean and maintain.
Use eco-friendly, durable materials.
Adapt to both indoor and outdoor conditions.
POSSIBLE RESEARCH STARTING POINTS
AskNature: Gecko feet (grip on wet surfaces), shark skin (drag reduction), lotus leaf (water repellency).
Inspiration: coral textures, tree bark grooves, coconut husks.
UN SDG LINKS [3] Good Health & Well-Being + [12] Responsible Consumption & Production
"Can we utilise biomimetic strategies to create a safer and more useful floor surface that adapts to the seasons and our needs?"
OUR CURRENT FLOOR SURFACES
On our current campus, we have a variety of floor surfaces. The image to the left highlights this problem as you can see multiple floor surface types plus incorporated drainage systems.
Often, leaves and debris stick to these floor surfaces, making them slippery.
Could there be a better, more integrated way to manage rain water whilst reducing injuries caused by the slippery tiles?
You may wish to conduct a survey/study of the existing surface types before attempting top redesign them, incorporating the criteria above.
STAKEHOLDER STATEMENTS
You should consider and accommodate these requirements into the design of your proposed solution.
ASK AN EXPERT
ASK AN EXPERT
You may wish to ask your friendly AI-generated Biomimetic design expert for guidance and support.
Start with explaining your design challenge
Ask for useful research areas to follow up and investigate
Ask for design inspiration and starting points
Share your stakeholder statements and ask how a design might meet these
POSSIBLE AVENUES FOR RESEARCH
Nature offers a wealth of inspiration for designing less slippery surfaces by providing examples of organisms and materials that have evolved to navigate various terrains effectively. By incorporating these into the design of a new floor surface, pavements can become more inclusive and lead to fewer instances of slipping and falling.
POSSIBLE AVENUES FOR RESEARCH
1. Animal Feet and Paws: Examine the feet or paws of animals that navigate slippery surfaces effectively, such as certain insects, geckos, or tree frogs. Mimicking the structure or properties of their feet can provide insights into creating surfaces with enhanced grip.
2. Plant Surfaces: Plants in nature often have specialised surfaces that prevent slipping, especially in wet or slippery conditions. For example, lotus leaves are known for their water-repellent properties. Understanding these surface structures can inspire the development of non-slip materials.
3. Microscopic Features: Many natural surfaces have microscopic features that contribute to increased friction. For instance, the tiny hairs on certain plant leaves or the micro-structures on the feet of some insects provide additional grip. Replicating these structures on flooring materials can enhance traction.
4. Adaptive Materials: Some animals and plants have adaptive materials that change their properties based on environmental conditions. Developing materials that adjust their surface properties in response to changes in humidity or temperature can contribute to better slip resistance.
5. Surface Textures and Patterns: Analyse the textures and patterns found in nature that enhance grip. This could include the arrangement of scales on reptiles, the patterns on certain shells, or the texture of tree bark. Incorporating similar features into flooring surfaces can improve slip resistance.
6. Natural Adhesives: Certain animals, like spiders, produce adhesives that allow them to stick to surfaces. Understanding the chemistry and structure of these adhesives can inspire the development of non-slip coatings or materials for floors.
7. Water Shedding and Drainage: Mimic the way certain plants or animals shed water to avoid slipping. Incorporating effective drainage systems or creating surfaces that channel water away quickly can contribute to improved slip resistance.
8. Flexible Materials: Many animals have flexible and adaptive structures that provide better grip on uneven surfaces. Developing flexible materials for flooring that can adapt to changes in the ground surface can enhance stability.
9. Gecko-Inspired Adhesion: The feet of geckos are known for their remarkable ability to stick to surfaces. This is due to the microscopic hair-like structures on their toes, known as setae, and the van der Waals forces that allow them to adhere to surfaces without using adhesives. Mimicking these structures in materials can create surfaces with increased friction, reducing slipperiness.
10. Lotus Effect: The lotus leaf has a unique microstructure that repels water and prevents it from adhering to the surface. This self-cleaning property, known as the Lotus Effect, can be mimicked in surface coatings to create water-repellent and less slippery surfaces.
11. Shark Skin Texture: Shark skin has tiny, tooth-like structures called dermal denticles that reduce drag in water. This concept can be applied to create surfaces that minimise friction and resist slipping, particularly in wet environments.
12. Penguin Feather Structure: Penguins have feathers that are densely packed and overlap in a way that traps a layer of air, providing insulation and reducing drag in water. A similar principle can be applied to create surface structures that trap air, thereby decreasing the contact between the surface and external elements like water.
13. Tree Frog Toe Pads: Tree frogs have toe pads with a high density of tiny hexagonal structures that increase their grip on various surfaces. Emulating this hierarchical structure in materials can enhance the grip of flooring surfaces.
14. Mussel Adhesion: Mussels secrete adhesive proteins that allow them to anchor themselves to surfaces in the challenging marine environment. Mimicking these adhesive properties can lead to the development of coatings that enhance the grip of surfaces in wet conditions.
By closely observing and understanding the mechanisms that nature employs to deal with slippery surfaces, designers can develop innovative solutions for non-slip floor surfaces that are both effective and sustainable. Additionally, biomimicry can lead to designs that are well-suited for specific environments and conditions, making them more versatile and adaptable.
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