Tunas are flexible, high-performance open ocean swimmers that operate at high frequencies to achieve high swimming speeds. Most fish-like robotic systems operate at low frequencies (≤3 Hz) resulting in low swim speeds (≤1.5 body lengths per second), and the cost of transport (COT) is often one to […]

When biomimicry is applied to the fashion industry, inspiration goes beyond the look of the clothing. Whether it’s from the NikwaX fabric that mimics animal fur, the orange fiber fabrics that mimic yarn, or the specially designed Brewed Protein materials that allow for […]

With the explosion of data generation, getting optimal solutions to data-driven problems is increasingly becoming a challenge, if not impossible. It is increasingly being recognized that applications of intelligent bio-inspired algorithms are necessary for addressing highly complex problems to provide working solutions in time, especially with dynamic problem definitions, fluctuations in […]

Abstract: This study aims to minimize the noise generated by automobile cooling fans. Fan blade structures with ridged surfaces based on bio-inspired principles are 3D printed and used to replace the conventional fan blades. The effect of the bio-inspired ridge structures on the […]

A team of researchers from China and the U.S. has created a robot that is able to mimic a remora fish by adhering quickly and strongly to underwater objects. It has a fin on its head that has evolved to become a suction cup, allowing it to […]

A wide range of microorganisms, e.g. bacteria, propel themselves by rotation of soft helical tails, also known as flagella. Due to the small size of these organisms, viscous forces overwhelm inertial effects and the flow is at low Reynolds number. In this fluid-structure problem, a competition between elastic forces and hydrodynamic […]

A research team led by the University of Washington has developed Smellicopter: an autonomous drone that uses a live antenna from a moth to navigate toward smells. Smellicopter can also sense and avoid obstacles as it travels through the air. The team published these results Oct. 1 in the journal IOP […]

The aerodynamic designs of winged drones are optimized for specific flight regimes. Large lifting surfaces provide maneuverability and agility but result in larger power consumption, and thus lower range, when flying fast compared with small lifting surfaces. Birds like the northern goshawk meet these opposing aerodynamic requirements of aggressive flight in […]

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (Trading Symbol: KBLB) is an innovative and aggressive biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of spider silk. Based on proprietary genetic engineering technology, Kraig Labs has successfully developed and produced next-generation polymers and protein-based fibers including recombinant spider silk. Our work has recently succeeded in […]

This paper investigates the aerodynamics of the boxfish to discover if the boxfish shape can be adapted for achieving low drag and energy efficient motor vehicle design. Through the usage of CAD modeling and CFD modeling data, this data proved that indicates that the drag coefficient of a boxfish is around […]

Abstract: Falls and subsequent complications are major contributors to morbidity and mortality, especially in older adults. Here, by taking inspiration from claws and scales found in nature, we show that buckling kirigami structures applied to footwear outsoles generate higher friction forces in the forefoot and transversally to […]

Soft machines typically exhibit slow locomotion speed and low manipulation strength because of intrinsic limitations of soft materials. Here, we present a generic design principle that harnesses mechanical instability for a variety of spine-inspired fast and strong soft machines. Unlike most current soft robots that are designed […]

Chiton scales which are rigid when necessary in order to protect the chiton from attacks or obstacles are also simultaneously able to be flexible, hence making for a great bio-inspired design. In this paper, a design for armor, specifically knee armor, due to […]

Flexible natural armors from fish, alligators or armadillo are attracting an increasing amount of attention from their unique and attractive combinations of hardness, flexibility and light weight. In particular, the extreme contrast of stiffness between hard plates and surrounding soft tissues give rise to unusual and attractive mechanisms, which now serve […]

A team at MIT has engineered small coils lined with living cells, that they say could act as stretchy scaffolds for repairing damaged muscles and tendons. The coils are made from hundreds of thousands of biocompatible nanofibers, tightly twisted into coils resembling miniature nautical rope, or yarn. The researchers coated the […]

The news article highlights and displays 7 examples of Biomimicry and solutions to human challenges by emulating designs and ideas found in nature. Examples include Bullet trains inspired by Kingfisher birds, Wind turbines modeled after Humpback whales, Antimicrobial film mimicking sharkskin, Harvesting water like the Stenocara beetle, Absorbing shock like a […]