The Best Biomimicry Examples for Technology
You’ve probably seen many examples of biomimicry in more obvious fields, like architecture. But how many biomimicry examples can you think of in technology? I couldn't name any off the top of my head, to be honest.
But if you take a closer look, you’ll find that some of these innovations fall under their own category, called Biotechnology. Not everything in biotech is biomimicry, but it often can be.
What is Biotechnology?
A good definition of biotechnology by TechTarget is this: "Biotechnology is the use of biology to develop new products, methods and organisms intended to improve human health and society".
Biomimicry is in fact a great approach to use in technology. You can read more about the value that biomimicry brings to tech here.
Below are some of the best examples of biomimicry in technology.
1. A Mixing System Inspired by Spiral Flows
Spirals are found often in nature, from the shape of an arum lily to a tornado. Spirals are highly effective in facilitating the efficient movement of materials with minimal drag, and their fractal nature allows them to be scaled up or down to meet various needs. Scientists at CleanWater1 (formerly Pax Water Technologies) have applied this principle to develop active tank mixing technology and other innovations, such as fans, which have reduced energy consumption by approximately 30% while maintaining similar output levels.
💦 Inspired by: Spiral flows
📍 Where: USA
🎯 Biomimicry in technology application: Efficient fluid mixing systems
✏️ Who: Jay Harman, Pax Water Technologies
2. Wind Turbines Inspired by Humpback Whales
It’s easy to imagine that the most effective way to reduce drag might be to make something streamline. However, when researchers studied humpback whale fins, they found bumps (or tubercles) on their fins that are actually highly effective in reducing drag. Biomimetic swimming flippers based on this design reduced drag by 33% and increased lift by 8%. Whale Power in Canada has applied this concept to their wind turbines, boosting efficiency by more than 40% in some cases compared to traditional turbines. Similar designs can be adapted for other aerodynamic applications, including fan and propeller blades, airplanes, and surfboards.
🐋 Inspired by: Humpback whales
📍 Where: Canada
🎯 Biomimicry in technology application: Wind turbines
✏️ Who: Whale Power
3. Specialised Smell Sensor Technology Inspired by Insects
Understanding how insects detect smells led scientists to an incredible discovery: the invention of a unique set of smell receptors that can be used to create highly sensitive biosensors. These sensors can identify and measure thousands of compounds that the human nose cannot detect, and ScentianBio is leveraging these functions to create highly specialised technology. Potential applications include monitoring food quality and enabling earlier disease detection.
🪲 Inspired by: Insects
📍 Where: New Zealand
🎯 Biomimicry in technology application: Olfactory sensors
✏️ Who: ScentianBio
4. Morphing Materials Inspired by Octopi
Inspired by octopus skin, engineers at Cornell University have developed stretchable materials with 3D texture morphing, creating a synthetic product that can change shape, size, colour and textures as needed. This innovation is modeled after the real-life capabilities of octopuses and cuttlefish. Applications range from packaging and shipping (think folding something small and flat, and then later inflating it to become a completely different structure, like furniture), to military camouflage use.
🐙 Inspired by: Octopi
📍 Where: USA
🎯 Biomimicry in technology application: Morphing material
✏️ Who: Rob Shepherd and team
5. A Cleaning Brush Inspired by Cats' Tongues
Cats are vigorous self-groomers, and researchers at Harvard University have studied exactly how their tongues work. Their tongues have tiny spikes, called papillae, that act as “scoops” to remove dust or dirt even at the base of their fur, and also to regulate their temperature. These researchers have 3D-printed a cleaning brush that can be used for pets, human hair or other items, like carpets, that is more effective than traditional brushes based on the design of our feline friends’ tongues.
🐈 Inspired by: Cats
📍 Where: USA
🎯 Biomimicry in technology application: Cleaning brush
✏️ Who: Alexis C. Noel and David L. Hu
6. Cold Retention Material Inspired by Camels
Camels are extremely well adapted to regulate their own body temperatures and stay cool in hot climates. Now, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are taking a leaf out of this animal’s book to create a material that mimics a camel’s fur, and can be used to keep things cold while using minimal energy. This material comprises of hydrogel (containing water and absorbent polymers) and aerogel (a water-resistant, insulating silica product), which can slow down water evaporation and offers insulation in a similar way to how a camel’s fur prevents it from sweating too much and potentially dehydrate.
🐪 Inspired by: Camels
📍 Where: USA
🎯 Biomimicry in technology application: Insulation material
✏️ Who: Jeffery Grossman and team
7. Swimsuits Inspired by Sharks
Shark skin is covered with types of scales called dermal denticles, disrupting eddy formation and creating a low-pressure zone. These features propel the shark forward when swimming and reduce drag immensely, which led to the design of swimsuits with similar properties. The now infamous and banned suits designed by Speedo & NASA for the 2008 US Olympic swimming team won 98% of all Olympic gold medals.
🦈 Inspired by: Shark skin
📍 Where: USA
🎯 Biomimicry in technology application: Drag-reducing swimwear
✏️ Who: Speedo & NASA
8. Thin Film Solar Cells Inspired by Butterflies
After researching the wings of the rose butterfly, which has black wings that absorb energy from the sun very well, a team of bio-inspired scientists in Germany were able to create a thin film that can be used in solar cells for more efficient energy production. These sheets can absorb light at any angle, unlike traditional solar cells. Comprising hydrogenated amorphous silicon, the sheets are a similar design to these butterfly wings with microscopic holes in them that scatter the light and take in heat. These cells have proven to be more efficient than thick sheet solar cells.
🦋 Inspired by: Butterflies
📍 Where: Germany
🎯 Biomimicry in technology application: Thin film solar cells
✏️Who: Radwanul Siddique and team
9. Movement-based Cameras Inspired by Human Eyes
Traditional video technology captures footage by sequencing images at fixed intervals, often resulting in excessive data storage and redundancy. Prophesee’s Metavision technology mimics the retina in the human eye and uses pixels that work independently and react only to changes in the scene. This makes it a game-changer for industries like food processing and machine monitoring, where its high sensitivity to motion can help detect issues early on even better than the human eye can.
👁️ Inspired by: Human eyes
📍 Where: France
🎯 Biomimicry in technology application: Movement-based camera
✏️ Who: Prophesee
10. LEDs Inspired by Fireflies
Researchers at Penn State University in collaboration with scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have studied the microstructure of the firefly’s abdomen, specifically its jagged surface, and applied this to the surface of LEDs to enhance light extraction and efficiency. They found they could boost the brightness and efficiency of LEDs by reducing internal reflection and allowing more light to escape, like the bioluminescent organs of fireflies do.
💡 Inspired by: Fireflies
📍 Where: USA & South Korea
🎯 Biomimicry in technology application: More efficient LEDs
✏️ Who: Penn State University & KAIST
In Closing
Biomimicry has led to a vast array of innovative products and is especially useful in technology for the invention or improvement of products that can solve human challenges. Read about even more biomimicry examples in 2024 here.
Wild regards
The Learn Biomimicry team
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