ON THE TOPIC OF | BIOMIMICRY
BBAIOCMK ITMOIC RY: NATURE? Gemma McGeough and David Stanier of intellectual
property firm Withers & Rogers look at the increasing
number of designs taking their inspiration from nature.
From the kingfisher-inspired
Japanese bullet train to spider
silk bulletproof vests, nature
is increasingly providing
the blueprint for novel materials to
enhance the world we live in.
Derived from the Greek words
‘bios’ (life) and ‘mimesis’ (to imitate),
biomimicry takes inspiration from
solutions found in the natural world,
some of which may have been
created millions of years ago. By
emulating these solutions, engineers
have been finding novel and
sustainable ways to solve a variety of
modern-day challenges.
The idea of biomimicry has been
around for many years. Biologist
Janine Benyus first coined the term
in her 1997 book; Biomimicry:
Innovation Inspired by Nature.
Since then the popularity of designs
inspired by nature has risen
significantly, with the use of the term
‘biomimicry’ in granted European
and UK patents rising from 43 in 2010
to 241 in 2019.
In a world where millions of
pounds are put into research and
development (R&D) on an annual
basis, biomimicry is a reminder that
with 3.8 billion years of trial and error
behind it, the earth already holds
many valuable secrets.
For example, sharks are widely
viewed as powerful, fast-moving
predatory animals and many people
will recall the sharkskin-inspired suits
worn by swimmers during the 2008
Olympics. However, one innovationled
business recently explored
another quality of sharkskin. Sharklet
Technologies took inspiration from
the tiny V-shaped scales of sharks,
called dermal denticles, that are
arranged in a distinct diamond
pattern on the skin of sharks. These
denticles discourage microorganisms
from growing on the skin, bringing
benefits in terms of both cleanliness
and hydrodynamic ability.
By mimicking this pattern,
Sharklet successfully created an
advanced material which is capable
of inhibiting bacterial growth through
pattern alone. The material offers
various applications including wound
dressings within the healthcare
industry and surfaces for the hulls of
boats to reduce algae growth.
Similarly, American company
Hedgemon took inspiration from
the flexible quills of hedgehogs
when creating helmets to protect
footballers and other sportspeople
from concussion. While these prickly
spines are usually associated with
protection from predators, they
are also excellent at cushioning
hedgehogs when falling out of trees.
As the hedgehog
falls to the ground,
it rolls into a ball,
surrounding itself with
the spines, which then
absorb the impact.
Hedgemon identified that
the specific arrangement of
the layers of quills acts as a shock
absorber, which can be applied to
sports helmets to protect players
against both linear and rotational
impacts. These ‘flexible spines’
overlap each other, acting as a
cushion to reduce and dissipate
impact load. They also spring
back into shape, offering multi-hit
durability. The result is a solution
that is not only applicable to sport
helmets but other forms of protective
equipment and even packaging.
There is a common misconception
that it is more difficult to protect
biomimetic designs due to their
natural origins. However, all
inventions generally take inspiration
from somewhere and this is certainly
TAHBOE UT AUTHORS
Gemma
McGeough, Senior
Associate at
Withers & Rogers
David Stanier,
Associate at
Withers & Rogers
16 WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK | JULY 2020
/WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK