Other examples of biomimetics abound: Autotype, a materials firm, has developed a plastic film based on the complex microstructures found in moth eyes, which have evolved to collect as much light as possible without reflection. When applied to the screen of a mobile phone, the film reduces reflections and improves readability, and improves battery life since there is less need to illuminate the screen. Researchers at the University of Florida, meanwhile, have devised a coating inspired by the rough, bristly skin of sharks. It can be applied to the hulls of ships and submarines to prevent algae and barnacles from attaching themselves. At Penn State University, engineers have designed aircraft wings that can change shape in different phases of flight, just as birds wings do. And Dr Vincent has devised a smart fabric, inspired by the way in which pine cones open and close depending on the humidity, that could be used to make clothing that adjusts to changing body temperatures and keeps the wearer cool.
From hit-and-miss to point-and-click
Yet despite all these successes, biomimetics still depends far too heavily on serendipity, says Dr Vincent. He estimates that there is only a 10% overlap between biological and technological mechanisms used to solve particular problems. In other words, there is still an enormous number of potentially useful mechanisms that have yet to be exploited. The problem is that the engineers looking for solutions depend on biologists having already found themand the two groups move in different circles and speak very different languages. A natural mechanism or property must first be discovered by biologists, described in technological terms, and then picked up by an engineer who recognises its potential.
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2016-02-26
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