A6.2 --

1. John Longchamps
Denise DeLuca
Biomimetic Design
MCAD | Summer 2015
Discover: Assessment of environmental conditions of
national labor market needs.
Project Objective: Establish a context-adaptive agile framework to support
national youth employment and career development in the United States through
local modes of implementation.
Purpose of this exercise:
Identifying organisms that perform the function of environmental
assessment to provide natural inspiration for the project
functionality, “assessing environmental conditions of national labor
market needs,” in support of the objective, “supporting youth
employment and career development.”
Function being addressed: Assessment of environmental conditions of
national labor market needs.
Organisms that Perform this Function
The following organisms perform functions-of-interest and were
identified through the AskNature platform.
1. Hairs Sense Environmental Cues: Insects

2. “Socketed hairs of insects detect environmental stimuli through
vibration.” (asknature.org)
"Most insects have socketed hairs (sensory setae) scattered over much
of the body which vibrate in response to sounds and may also be
sensitive to touch, humidity and light. Locusts use those on the head,
between the antennae, to judge the direction and humidity of the
breeze, and climb some eminence for this purpose. Subsequently, they
may use the information thus gained to fly to areas of low pressure
where rain is likely to induce lusher feeding pasture." (Wootton
1984:48)
Strategies Utilized:
 Synergies, systemic – Ability to perceive and act on external
indicators to lead to better resource options
 Form – socketed hairs are shaped in a way that optimizes
sensitivity to touch, humidity, and light.
2. Capsules Launch Seeds: Namaqualand Mesems
“The seeds of many Mesembryanthemums are launched from their capsules
for dispersal thanks to a valve mechanism that uses rainwater as a
trigger.” (asknature.org)
"Most of the Namaqualand mesems [Mesembryanthemums], as they are known
for short, do not scatter their seeds after flowering but retain them
in capsules. The structure of these devices is usually very intricate
indeed. When the first rain falls, perhaps as a short and isolated
shower, the capsules absorb moisture and swell, causing a star-shaped

3. set of valves to open. But even now the seeds are not shed. That must
wait for a second shower. Then a raindrop striking a valve operates a
mechanism that flings out the seeds for a distance of yards."
(Attenborough 1995:278)
Strategies Utilized:
 Mechanical Process – utilizing redundancy in a 2-phase seed
release process.
 Systemic – Relying on environmental indicators to actuate the
mechanical seed release process ensures optimal growing
conditions.
3. Fire Opens Seed Capsules: Banksia
“Seeds of Banksia plants are dispersed via two-valved seed capsules
that open in high fire temperatures.” (asknature.org)

4. "Banksias are spectacular evergreen bushes and trees related to the
proteas of South Africa but, with the exception of one whose range
extends into the Pacific, they are totally restricted to Australia. Of
the 75 or so species that exist, 60 grow only in this south-western
corner [of Australia]. Their strange inflorescences consist of several
thousand small florets massed together in a single spike and arranged
in vertical lines, that in some species have a gentle spiral
twist…They take several months to develop and then open over several
weeks. Birds such as lorikeets and marsupials like the honey possum
come to drink nectar from them and in the course of doing so pollinate
them. Usually, however, only a small proportion of the florets produce
seed. In some species, those that are unsuccessful remain attached to
the flower head, forming a grey rather bristly fur…It takes about a
year for the seeds to mature. Like the bottlebrush, some banksias will
not shed their seeds unless there is a fire. Indeed, it is almost
impossible to remove them from the plant because they are held in hard
woody two-valved capsules. But as the flames scorch the branches, the
intense heat causes the capsules to open. Their front ends resemble
pairs of brown lips on the side of the furry spike…By releasing their
seeds only in the wake of a fire, the banksias ensure that they will
fall on well-cleaned, brightly-lit ground recently fertilised with ash
and so get the most favourable of starts in what is, even at best, an
extremely harsh and demanding environment." (Attenborough 1995:188-
190)
Strategies Utilized:
 Robust Materials – Hard wood shells protect the seeds. In fact
the shell is so strong that it requires a forest fire to be
cracked open.
 Systemic – Relying on environmental indicators to actuate the
mechanical seed release process ensures optimal growing
conditions.
Applied Biomimetics
I find the banksia seed to be the most applicable to my project as it
is a robust strategic model for its ability to not only survive, but
thrive in disadvantaged conditions. The banksia actually transforms
what would kill most organisms into what gives it new life! This will
have significant applications for empowering vulnerable youth. The
utilization of mechanically actuating seed release processes is also
inspiring, and can be translated to the project objective of analyzing
current “harsh” labor market conditions.