Biodesign And Biomimicry

What Is Biomimicry and Why It Matters

Biomimicry is the field of mimicking nature's successful strategies for solving human-related problems. Designers look to nature for more effective, sustainable, and creative solutions to human problems. Examples of biomimicry include water-repellent surfaces that are inspired by lotus leaves and energy-saving buildings designed from termite mounds. Biomimicry enables innovation through nature’s logic, bridging design thinking and ecology.

Applications in Aerospace and Space Colonization

Alice Marques de Sá and Dianne Viana carried out a systematic review in 2023 involving nearly 200 publications over 30 years, which examined biomimicry’s impact in design. Using the TEMAC model, they found that biomimetics is most commonly applied to buildings, products, and environments. The most frequently cited areas were bioinspired materials, structural design, textiles, robotics, and climate-adaptive architecture. Also, we have common tools, bioTRIZ and IDEA-INSPIRE that assist designers in converting natural phenomena into their design processes.

Global Trends in Biomimetic Design

In 2023, Alice Marques de Sá and Dianne Viana undertook a systematic review of 200 publications over 30 years to assess the impact of taking nature as an influence in our designs. They found that when the authors mentioned using bioinspiration in their designs, biomimicry is most commonly utilized in buildings, products, and environments. The most-cited works focused on bioinspired materials, structural design, textiles, robotics, and climate-resilient buildings. BioTRIZ and IDEA-INSPIRE are among the commonly used tools to help designers translate natural phenomena into the design process.

Challenges and the Road AheadThe field struggles with inconsistent terminology, unclear scope, and lack of integration. Terms like biomimicry, biomimetics, bionics, and bioinspiration are never defined or used consistently; they are used interchangeably, and have shown to be inconsistent or interchangeable in the research. Much of the research originates in engineering and architecture, with limited input from core design programs. There are also problems with exploration of everyday products or human-centered services. More attention to solution-driven projects and interdisciplinary work could do more to assist the impact level, too.

Conclusion

Biomimicry and biodesign offer transformative opportunities for sustainable innovation, especially within the context of aerospace and climate adaptation. Nature serves as both model and mentor, offering lessons in efficiency, adaptability, and resilience As designers contemplate the future, using the principles of nature in built environments and technologies will be required to evolve systems that regenerate rather than consume resources, both on Earth and in space.

References:

Marques de Sá, Alice Araujo, and Dianne Magalhães Viana. “Design and Biomimicry: A

Review of Interconnections and Creative Potentials.” Biomimetics, vol. 8, no. 1,

2023, p. 61. MDPI, https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010061.

Montana-Hoyos, Carlos, et al. “Chapter One - Biomimicry and Biodesign for Innovation in Future Space Colonization.” Biomimicry for Aerospace: Technologies and

Applications, Elsevier, 2022, pp. 3–39,

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-821074-1.00012-8.

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