The document discusses the field of biomimetics, which involves emulating nature's technologies to help humans thrive while minimizing environmental impact. It provides examples of how biomimetics has been used to desalinate water, sequester carbon, create biodegradable plastics, and develop more efficient transportation and medical innovations by mimicking structures and processes in plants, animals, and organisms. Specific innovations are inspired by leaves, lotus plants, desert beetles, molluscs, flies, whales, plants, and kingfishers.

1. Biomimetics
Lorna Campbell
2nd December 2011

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What is Biomimicry?
 Itis the process of emulating nature’s
technologies in order to help the human
species thrive here on earth while
impacting nature less

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Biomimicry has been used to:
 Separate salt from water with power
 Sequester carbon while increasing the
fertility of soils and water
 Spin CO2 into durable plastics the
biodegrade
 Travel without harmful emissions or
congestion
 Stay germ-free without developing
antibiotic resistance

4. Environmental Innovations
 Solar cells inspired by leaves
 Self-cleaning surfaces inspired by lotus
plant
 Fog harvesting inspired by a desert beetle
 Building Material from CO2 inspired by
molluscs
From: http://www.n100best.org/list.html

5. Medical Innovations
 Wound healing inspired by flies
 Pacemaker replacement inspired by
humpback whales
 Bacterial control inspired by barberry
 Vaccines without refrigeration inspired by
resurrection plant
From: http://www.n100best.org/list.html

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Learning Efficiency from
Kingfishers
 The Shinkansen Bullet
Train of the West Japan
Railway Company is the
fastest train in the world,
traveling 200 miles per
hour. The problem?
Noise. Air pressure
changes produced
large thunder claps
every time the train
emerged from a tunnel,
causing residents one- http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/ca
quarter a mile away to se-studies/case-
studies/transportation.html
complain.