Biomimetics: Learning Innovation from Nature

Editor’s Note
Dr. Rajib Bhattacharya, teaches Finance at Globsyn Business School – one of Kolkata’s best colleges for MBA in international business. Dr. Bhattacharya has over 14 years of experience in middle and senior level positions in various industries including the banking sector. In his academic career extending over 11 years, he has been associated with reputed business schools as faculty member, paper setter and examiner. He had also been a guest faculty at Universitas Pelita Harapan, Jakarta, Indonesia. He has provided corporate training to middle and senior level executives of many MNCs. He has many research papers (including a best-paper award winning paper) to his credit, published in peer-reviewed indexed journals and presented in national & international conferences including some at IITs and IIMs. He is a member of The Institute of Cost Accountants of India, All India Management Association, Operational Research Society of India and Analytics Society of India.

What is Biomimetics?

The trajectory of mankind from being food gatherers as a cave-dwelling species to harnessing alternative sources of energy as technically advanced human beings, has been dependent on mother nature. In recent times, priority has been accorded by almost all the nations of the world to innovation. Innovative ideas are being increasingly considered to the most potent driver of technical, economic, social and environmental developments. Mankind is once again learning to develop innovative ideas from mother nature. This learning process is technically called Biomimetics which is commonly referred to as Biomimicry.

Biomimetics is essentially an interdisciplinary field of study in which principles from the domains of biology, chemistry, engineering and animal behaviour are applied to mimic natural processes and animal behaviour to solve problems of the human society through sustainable innovations. Biomimetics hinges on observing and understanding the structures, functions, and strategies found in biological organisms and ecosystems and applying that knowledge to design more efficient, resilient and eco-friendly solutions.

The concept of Biomimetics has been around for centuries, but it gained increased attention in the late 20th century when engineers, scientists and designers recognized the huge potential in imitating nature’s wisdom, which was not considered before. By studying natural systems such as plant leaves, animal locomotion, or even the behaviour of social insect colonies, researchers have discovered ingenious mechanisms, patterns, and materials that have evolved naturally over millions of years of natural trial and error.

Biomimetics has led to remarkable advancements across various fields. For example, Biomimetics finds use in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and drug delivery. The streamlined shape of a bird’s wing has inspired the design of more aerodynamic aircraft, reducing drag and improving fuel efficiency. The development of Velcro was inspired by the way burrs stick to clothing or fur, mimicking nature’s adhesion mechanism. Similarly, the creation of self-cleaning surfaces and materials were modelled after the lotus leaf’s water-repellent properties which has revolutionized industries such as textiles and architecture.

Biomimetics offers a powerful framework for innovation, harnessing nature’s time-tested solutions to address the complex challenges of recent times while promoting sustainability through a deeper understanding of the natural world. It enriches the innovation landscape by providing a holistic and sustainable approach to problem-solving. It learns from nature’s wisdom, fostering creativity, sustainability, and resilience in the pursuit of groundbreaking solutions. By embracing Biomimetics, innovators can unlock new frontiers and contribute to a more harmonious and regenerative relationship between human beings and the natural world.

 

Innovation and Biomimetics

Innovation and Biomimetics are two closely intertwined concepts that can supplement each other’s progress and potential. Biomimetics is the shift to “learning from nature” from “extracting resources from nature”. Biomimetics offers the following two pillars of innovative and sustainable development.

• As natural systems have evolved to thrive in diverse and changing environments, Biomimetics enhances resilience and adaptability in innovation making it more robust, flexible, and capable of withstanding uncertainties and disruptions.
• Following nature’s efficient and resource-conserving solutions, innovators can develop products, systems, and processes which minimize waste and energy consumption, thus ensuring sustainable and regenerative approach to innovation by aligning to nature’s processes.

 

Management Lessons from Biomimetics

• Collaboration and Cooperation: Natural ecosystems rely on intricate networks of collaboration and cooperation among different species. Similarly, organizations can benefit from fostering collaboration, both internally and externally.
• Systems Thinking: Biomimetics encourages a holistic understanding of interconnected systems. Organizations can apply this approach by considering the broader impacts and interdependencies of their actions.
• Resource Efficiency: Nature operates on the principle of resource efficiency, utilizing materials and energy with higher effectiveness. Organizations can adopt this mindset by optimizing resource utilization, reducing waste, and embracing sustainable practices to gain competitive advantage.
• Resilience and Redundancy: Natural systems exhibit resilience through redundancy and diversity. Applying this concept to management involves diversifying talent, capabilities, and resources to withstand disruptions and simultaneously avoiding overreliance on single sources or strategies.
• Adaptability: Natural systems are adept at adapting to changing conditions. Organizations can learn from nature’s ability to respond and evolve throughembracing flexibility, agility, and a willingness to change.
• Feedback and Iteration: Nature constantly learns and adapts through feedback loops. Similarly, organizations can benefit from fostering a culture of continuous improvement, embracing feedback from customers, employees, and other stakeholders to drive innovation, optimize performance, and enhance customer satisfaction.

 

Biomimetics in Action

Biomimetics has led to several innovations in different fields of applied sciences. A few of them are appended below:

Engineering

• Velcro: Swiss engineer George de Mestral was inspired by the burrs that stuck to his dog’s fur. He examined the burrs under a microscope and noticed their hook-like structure. This led to the development of Velcro, a fastening system that mimics the hooks and loops of the burrs. Velcro has since found applications in clothing, aerospace, medical devices, and many other industries.
• Solar Cells and Photosynthesis: Photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy, inspired the development of solar cells. Researchers have studied the intricate molecular mechanisms involved in photosynthesis to improve the efficiency and design of solar panels. By emulating nature’s ability to harness solar energy, solar cells have become a viable renewable energy solution.
• Shinkansen Bullet Train: The design of the Shinkansen bullet train in Japan was inspired by the beak of the kingfisher bird. Engineers observed that the bird could dive into water without creating a splash due to its streamlined beak shape. By applying the same principle to the train’s nose cone, aerodynamic performance was improved, reducing noise and energy consumption.
• Termite-inspired Building Design: Termites build elaborate mounds that maintain a stable internal temperature despite external temperature fluctuations. Architects and engineers have drawn inspiration from termite mounds to design energy-efficient buildings. By incorporating natural ventilation systems and passive cooling strategies, these buildings reduce the need for artificial heating and cooling, resulting in energy savings and improved comfort.
• Lotus Effect and Self-Cleaning Surfaces: The lotus leaf has the ability to repel water and remain clean due to its microscopic surface structure. This natural property has been replicated in the development of self-cleaning surfaces, such as exterior coatings for buildings and coatings for car windshields. By mimicking the lotus effect, these surfaces can resist dirt, dust, and water, resulting in lower maintenance and improved durability.
• Shark-skin-inspired Swimwear: The texture of sharkskin has inspired the development of swimwear and swimsuits that reduce drag in water. By mimicking the microscopic riblets found on sharkskin, which reduce turbulence, these swimsuits improve hydrodynamics and allow swimmers to glide through the water with less resistance.
• Gecko-inspired Adhesives: Geckos have remarkable climbing abilities due to their unique adhesive properties. Scientists have developed gecko-inspired adhesives that mimic the microscopic structures on gecko feet. These adhesives allow objects to be attached and detached repeatedly without leaving residue or losing their stickiness. Gecko-inspired adhesives have potential applications in industries such as robotics, aerospace, and medical devices.
• Bionic Handling Assistant: Festo, a German engineering company, developed the Bionic Handling Assistant, a robotic arm inspired by the elephant’s trunk. The robotic arm mimics the flexibility, strength, and dexterity of the trunk, enabling it to handle delicate objects with precision. This biomimetic innovation has applications in various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics.
• Efficient Wind Turbines: The shape and movement of humpback whale fins have inspired more efficient wind turbine designs. The bumpy leading edge of humpback whale fins helps to reduce drag and increase lift. By incorporating similar features into wind turbine blades, engineers have improved their aerodynamic performance, leading to increased energy production and reduced costs.
• Biomimetic Materials: Nature offers a wealth of inspiration for the development of advanced materials. For example, spider silk, known for its strength and flexibility,

 

Optimization Algorithms

• Neural Networks: Neural networks are computational models inspired by the structure and function of the human brain. They consist of interconnected nodes (neurons) that process and transmit information. Neural networks have been applied to various tasks, including pattern recognition, image processing, and natural language processing.
• Genetic Algorithms (GA): Genetic algorithms are inspired by the process of natural selection and evolution. They use concepts like mutation, crossover, and selection to evolve a population of potential solutions to a problem. The fittest individuals from each generation are selected and combined to produce new generations with improved solutions. Genetic algorithms have been used in various fields, including optimization, machine learning, and scheduling.
• Ant-Colony Optimization (ACO): ACO is an algorithm that mimics the foraging behaviour of ants. Ants communicate through chemical trails to find the shortest path between their nest and a food source. This algorithm has been applied to optimization problems, such as route planning and network optimization, by simulating the behaviour of ants to find the most efficient solutions.
• Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO): PSO is an optimization algorithm inspired by the flocking behaviour of birds or the schooling behaviour of fish. In PSO, a population of particles moves through a search space, adjusting their positions based on their own best-known solution and the collective information of the entire population. PSO has been successfully applied to optimization problems in engineering, finance, and data mining.
• Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO): This meta-heuristic is inspired by the leadership hierarchy and hunting mechanism of grey wolves (Canis lupus) i.e. searching for prey, encircling the prey and attacking the prey. GWO is extensively used in several areas involving optimization.
• ‘V’ formation of Military Aircrafts: This formation of military aircrafts is inspired by the aerodynamic optimization by birds flying in a flock to cover greater distances.
• Swarm Intelligence: Swarm intelligence algorithms are inspired by the collective behavior of social insect colonies or flocks of birds. These algorithms simulate the cooperation and coordination observed in natural swarms to solve complex problems. They often involve multiple agents (particles, ants, or birds) that communicate and interact with each other to find optimal solutions. Swarm intelligence has been used in optimization, clustering, and data routing problems.
• Firefly Algorithm: The firefly algorithm imitates the flashing behaviour of fireflies to solve optimization problems. Fireflies use their bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. In the algorithm, each firefly represents a potential solution, and their attractiveness is determined by the quality of the solution. Fireflies move towards brighter ones, simulating the optimization process. This algorithm has been applied to various optimization problems, including function optimization and data clustering.
• Immune Algorithms: Immune algorithms are inspired by the immune system’s ability to recognize and respond to threats. These algorithms use principles from immunology to solve optimization and pattern recognition problems. They mimic the processes of antibody production, immune response, and memory formation to adaptively search for optimal solutions.

 

Biomimetics and Start-Ups

Some start-ups across the world have leveraged on Biomimetics and have been doing well. A few of them are mentioned below.

• The US-based startup Bimitechuses Biomimetic Cooling Technology and builds cooling fans that utilize a hummingbird-inspired design. The startup’s biomimetic cooling technology keeps electronic chips cooler using a bio-inspired wing attached to a membrane. The leading edge of the membrane is linked to Eagle, an advanced bending actuator, to oscillate around its neutral position. Inertial and aerodynamic forces later rotate the wing and create axial airflow. This biomimetic design allows the fans to remain quiet, improve flow profile, and also increase efficiency.
• Biome Renewables is a Canadian startup that takes inspiration from the kingfisher and the maple seed to manufacture turbine retrofitting for wind energy. The startup offers PowerCone, a turbine retrofit that channels incoming wind onto the blades to address root leakage. PowerCone mimics the kingfisher in its ability to skim the water to enable smooth airflow onto the blades’ surface. This solution mimics a maple seed by utilizing its energy-saving techniques, allowing for efficient channelling of wind onto the blades. As a result, these biomimetic innovations produce turbines with reduced loads and increased power.
• Bioxegy is a French startup specializing in biomimetics-based innovation for various industries including aerospace, automotive, and healthcare. The startup draws inspiration from all of nature and develops solutions based on plants, birds, land, and marine life. These diverse biomimetic solutions enable the creation of new products, processes, coatings, or materials. These innovations incorporate higher resistance, flexibility, and lightness, as well as aerodynamics, grip, and thermoregulation, among others.
• German startup denovoMATRIX manufactures Biomimetic coatings. They provide screenMATRIX, a tool to rapidly test a large number of cell microenvironments simultaneously. denovoMATRIX technology incorporates important biological ligands for cell adhesion, spreading, and robust growth, within its biomimetic coatings.
• Spanish startup BeOnChip uses Biomimetics and nanotechnology and combines cyclo-olefin polymers (COP) and cyclic olefin copolymers (COC) with microfabrication techniques to create novel in-vitro testing platforms.

 

Globsyn Business School and Biomimetics

Innovation is one of the most prioritized areas at Globsyn Business School. The B-School focusses on ESG-regulated and SDG-guided models for sustainable development through implementation of innovative ideas. Here, the students are exposed to the concept and case studies on Biomimetics so that they remain abreast with the latest developments in the arena of innovations.

 

 

Dr. Rajib Bhattacharya
Faculty – Finance
Globsyn Business School