CONTENT

Biomimicry:
What is biomimicry? 5
Early examples of biomimicry 6-8
1. Rock-cut Architechture
2. Silk
3. Pyramids
4. Myths and legends
Why teach biomimicry? 9
Some examples of biomimicry 10-14
1. Velcro
2. Sleek shark skin
 What is biomimicry?
Biomimetic or biomimicry is the imitation of the models, systems, and elements of nature
for the purpose of solving complex human problems. A closely related field is bionics.

Living organisms have evolved well-adapted structures and materials over geological
time through natural selection. Biomimetic has given rise to new technologies inspired
by biological solutions at macro and nanoscales. Nature has solved engineering
problems such as self-healing abilities, environmental exposure tolerance and
resistance, hydrophobicity, self-assembly, and harnessing solar energy.
Biomimetic could in principle be applied in many fields. Because of the diversity
and complexity of biological systems, the number of features that might be
imitated is large. Biomimetic applications are at various stages of development
from technologies that might become commercially usable to prototypes.
Early examples of Biomimicry
While humans have only studied biomimicry for the past half century, the earth has been
developing efficient methods of life for 3.8 billion years. Our planet is the oldest and
wisest teacher we could ask for. However throughout our extremely short history we
have not exactly seen eye to eye with the earth. It is because of this that we are
experiencing changes in the climate that will prove detrimental to our future. This
project is designed to open the minds of the reader to a new form of innovation.
Biomimicry, innovation inspired by the natural processes of earth. This timeline
highlights examples of biomimicry that hopefully enlighten you and inspire anew way to
create.
Rock-Cut Architecture: 6000 BCE
hitecture: 6000 BCE

Caves have been used as shelter since the monolithic era 6000 BCE, so it
makes perfect sense that in India Buddhist temples and shrines were actually
carved into caves and mountain sides. These temples eventually doubled as
trade posts on the Silk Road.
Silk is one of the first examples of biomimicry that we see in human history. Use
of the material is dated back to 4000 BC, making it one of the first fabrics
invented by humans. It is common knowledge that silk comes from silkworms, and
the Chinese were the first civilization to learn from the brilliant worm. This
invention was the reason that the Silk Road got its name. 6,000 years later we are
still using silk all around the world.
Pyramids: 2470 BC

While there are hundreds of theories about who or what actually constructed the
Egyptian pyramids, until an extraterrestrial force is proven to have played a part,
one would assume they were man made. And one theory that makes sense is that
they were designed after mountains
Myths and Legends:

The wonders of the earth have always captured our imagination. One myth that
captures our wonder of the earth is the story of Daedalus and Icarus, father and
son respectively. Imprisoned on the island of Crete for a crime against his
nephew, Thalus, Daedalus was instructed by King Minos to build a labyrinth to
contain the Minotaur. This story ends with Daedalus inventing bird wings made of
feather and wax to fly out of the labyrinth and out of Crete. However Icarus, his
son, flies against his father’s advice, too close to the sun and his wings melt and
he falls to his death. Daedalus was regarded as a great inventon.
Why teach biomimicry?
Learning not just to identify different trees, or that they are used as building material and fuel, but how they are an amazing
technology that stores energy from the sun, moves gallons of water a day without pumps, creates materials out of carbon in the
air, and provides countless ecosystem services. When we learn to see this kind of technology in nature, our eyes are opened to new
possibilities for our own designs. This is the power of biomimicry education at any age.
Biomimicry today is not just influencing design, it’s also revolutionizing education – offering a teachers a compelling way to
teach biology, STEM subjects, creative problem-solving, and systems thinking. Biomimicry in education can provide:
● A compelling way to present science, technology, engineering, and math subjects.
● An interdisciplinary platform to connect subjects to one another, and to the real world beyond classroom walls.
● A tool to enhance creativity and problem-solving skills through design and project-based activities.
● A new way for young people to view and value the natural world; to see nature not just as something to learn about, but as
something to learn from.
● A unique and powerful way to think and learn about sustainability.
 Some examples of Biomimicry:

VELCRO:
George de Mestral was inspired to invent Velcro after noticing how easy it was for burrs to
stick to his dog’s hair. Upon studying them under a microscope, he noticed the simple
design of tiny hooks at the end of the burr’s spines. These were able to catch anything with
a loop, such as fur and fabric, and he went on to replicate this synthetically. His two-part
Velcro fastening system uses a strip of loosely looping nylon opposite a strip of tiny hooks,
and has since been prolific in its range of applications and popularity.
 DIATOMS AS CHEAP SOLAR CELLS:
The ability to produce low-cost, hierarchically-structured and Nano patterned inorganic materials
could potentially revolutionize the way we fabricate photovoltaic, energy storage, and
optoelectronic devices. In nature, many organisms carry out the hierarchical assembly of
metal oxide materials through cellular and biochemical processes that replicate periodic micro-
and nanoscale
features by a bottom-up approach at ambient conditions. For example, single-celled algae called
diatoms produce a nanostructured amorphous silica skeleton called a frustule. The insertion of
other metal oxide materials such as titanium or germanium dioxide into the nanostructure of the
diatom frustule could potentially be utilized to fabricate new dye-sensitized solar cells,
nanostructured battery electrodes, and electroluminescent display devices. The exploitation of
diatom Nano biotechnology for the development of novel device concepts in these areas is
overviewed.