Five industrial innovations inspired by nature
Living organisms are the world’s most incredible laboratory. Industry has long drawn inspiration from them through an innovation strategy that is constantly advancing: biomimetics.
From humpback whale fins to wind turbine blades
The humpback whale’s underwater agility is remarkable, especially given its size. The whale owes this ability to the serrated shape of its pectoral fins, whose protrusions create a “whirlpool effect” that improves the animal’s buoyancy and enables it to change direction rapidly. Professor Frank Fish from West Chester University in Pennsylvania drew inspiration from this phenomenon and applied it to wind turbine blades developed by the Whale Power corporation. These blades are more stable and can work in both lighter and stronger winds, producing 20% more electricity.
Learn more :
https://biomimexpo.com/2020/04/04/whalepower/
From gecko toes to ultra-powerful adhesive
The gecko has pads at the end of its toes covered in microscopic hairs (more than 10,000 per square millimetre). This hyper-dense structure enables it to climb most vertical surfaces, whether rough or smooth. Researchers have reproduced this structure to create a dry, colourless, ultra-powerful adhesive: Gecksin.
Learn more :
https://www.buygeckskin.com
From coral to 3D tyres
Michelin has invented a 3D-printed tyre concept made from recycled materials, with a cellular structure reminiscent of coral. With no air contained inside it, Concept Vision is presented as an “unpuncturable” tyre, thanks to its biomimetic structure.
Learn more :
https://www.michelin.com/news/Concept-Vision-MICHELIN
From shark skin to antibacterial coating
Shark skin is known to be so sleek that micro-organisms do not adhere to it. This astounding property is due to thousands of backward-curving denticles that form a geometric structure with exceptional hydrodynamic properties. The American startup Sharklet has adapted this microtopography to microfilms used in medicine, practically eliminating the risk of bacterial spread.
Learn more :
https://www.sharklet.com
From lotus leaves to water-repellent glass
Lotus leaves have an unusual property that causes water droplets to bead on their surface, removing any dirt in the process. This phenomenon is due to a microscopically roughened surface that creates a kind of air cushion, on which the water droplets simply glide along. Saint-Gobain reworked this principle to create glass with a surface treatment that breaks up dirt when exposed to sunlight (photocatalysis) and disposes of it using the lotus effect.
Learn more :
https://fr.saint-gobain-building-glass.com/fr/le-verre-facile-nettoyer
