Spiders & Protective Glass
You are probably already well aware that spider silk is one of the strongest biological substances in the world. However, there is something even more special about the strands of spider silk.
Each year 100 million birds die every year after crashing into glass windows, doors etc. Why? For Birds, it’s almost impossible to identify the transparent surface of the glass.
Turning to nature engineers took inspiration from the UV reflective strands of spider webs and created a bird-safe glass. In nature, birds can see identify these reflective strands and avoid them.
Burrs and Velcro
After seeing the way that pesky burrs would stick to his dog’s hair, George De Mestral had an idea that would impact the world. Mestral spent time analyzing the burrs, studying them under a microscope and noticing the small tiny hooks at the end of the burr.
Burrs themselves stick to just about anything including fabric. Eager to replicate burrs “catchiness”, Mestral ended up creating velcro, a fastening system that is used today for a long list of daily applications.
Lotus & Oil Repellents
The beautiful lotus flower has some impressive tricks up its sleeve. Known as superhydrophobicity, the lotus effect is an interesting natural phenomenon.
Water is not able to wet the surface of the flower because of the nanostructures of the plant, micro-protrusions coated in waxy hydrophobic materials repel the water.
Engineers have copied this process to create a water-repelling, fat-repelling, and oil-repellent sealant that can be sprayed on a host of tools, vehicles, and products to induce their own superhydrophobicity.
Namibian Beetles & Water Collection
You probably know the African Namib Desert Beetle for the way it rolls and collects poop.
However, did you know it is a master at collecting water? MIT scientists and engineers noticed this and created something special.
The beetle can collect water by condensing fog into water droplets in the bumps on its shell then directing the water to its head so it can drink.
Using the beetle’s structure as inspiration, the MIT created a structure that could be used to build cooling devices and even cleaning up toxic spills.
Sharks & Aquatic Vehicles
After NASA examined the microscopic pattern of shark skin, they created their own laboratory shark skin or riblets film to use on a host of products. Why? Sharks are some of nature’s most efficient swimmers.
The small little grooves or dentricles in sharkskin significantly reduces the drag of a vessel when its attached to the surface. This sharkskin film is used on a host of everyday objects like coatings for ship’s hulls, submarines, aircraft, and even swimwear for humans.
Butterflies & Solar Power
The Butterfly wings are elegant feats of nature but can also have some impressive solar properties. The rose butterfly has tiny cells on its intricate and delicate wings that can collect light at any angle.
The black wings of the rose butterfly have inspired a new type of solar cell that is two times more efficient at harvesting light.
What other inventions do you know where inspired by nature?
Really? Are you leaving this post without leaving your comment? Review it!
Source: Interesting Engineering
