What is biomimetics?

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Derived from two Greek words — “bios” which means life and “mimetic” which means an aptitude for mimicry — biomimetics is a form science that studies nature and draws inspiration from its technology. Since as far as one can remember, nature has had the answers to several engineering problems.

Replicating the movements of the bird and the fish to build an aircraft and the boat respectively are all examples of biomimetics. Today, the application of biomimetics extends beyond engineering as well and continues to be actively used in the field of medicine and material sciences.
Many invertebrates have revolutionised technologies right from solar panels to TV screens. The blue morpho butterfly is a fine example of perfecting colours on TV screens by recreating its semi-reflective wings to amplify the colours. The examples are as diverse as it gets. Dr Indranuj Dey, researcher, department of energy engineering science, Kyushu University, Japan, says, “Scientists draw inspiration from various energy conversion processes in nature for better design of engines and propulsion systems. The bombardier beetle, for instance, squirts high-pressure jet of boiling liquid to defend itself from a threat. This efficient mechanism of pulse combustion and ejection employed by this creature would help in developing plasma injected internal combustion engines for aircrafts. It could also help create low-power plasma thrusters for outer space propulsion of nano-satellites.”
Likewise, the night-vision in moths can help create solar panels, the sea mouse can offer lessons in making fibre-optic cables and the Namib desert beetle is a lesson in state-of-the-art water conversation system. The possibilities are endless for those willing to learn from nature. Dr Dey adds, “The active use of biomimetics will hopefully lead to better energy efficient devices and contribute towards global efforts of energy conservation.”