Weekly+Lab+8+Response

=Lab 8=

Product Examples of Biomimicry
//**Biomimicry are design principles that imitate the look and feel of nature.**//

1. High-speed train— when designing a high-speed train the designers imitated what they saw in nature in order to make something that was fast and reliable. Designers took aspects of birds and incorporated it to the design of a train. They used design of owl feathers to reduce the noise of the train when travelling in high speeds. Furthermore, they designed the nose of the train to have the same shape as the beak of the kingfisher bird. This allowed for minimal resistance and aerodynamic advantages.

2. Bone Furniture— when designing furniture designers used the structure of bones to design something strong with great support for the body. Chairs were made out of hollow aluminum material. Designers imitated how bones would grow and shape over time.

3. Bio-Inspired Color Displays— Engineers of Qualcomm have been designing mirasol displays according to the colors of nature. They would take the color combinations of butterfly wings and peacock feathers. They are using these because it contains tiny structures that variably reflect light that create vivid colors. This will help in the design of cell phones and other electronics to reduce the consumption of power.

4. Self Cleaning Paint— a German company was inspired by the structure of lotus leaves that have a hydrophobic surface. The structure of lotus leaves repels water. This will aid in the design of self-cleaning paints that do not require toxic detergents. By giving the paint a similar structure it will help repel water.

//**Janine Benyus, "the simple, elegant mechanics developed by nature often make sense in a human context, too"**//

The simple design of nature is one that can seen as the most reliable. Things that occur in nature have been well thought out. Everything in nature is designed to withstand the harshest conditions. Therefore, by designing products that take from elements of nature will ensue a more dependable design.

The most effective way we can save and nurture the environment is to design products according to nature. This not only includes the structure of products but the way it functions according to energy and pollution. Nature provides the most simple design for humans.

In order to design for sustainability we look at how nature manages to survive. Even with all the pollutants that humans create, the environment still tries to stay alive. But if we do not do something soon to design with nature in mind then we are reducing the chances of nature to be enjoyed by future generations.