DESIGN MEETS NATURE

Humans are always captivated by nature and always looked to nature for inspiration to solve problems. Biomimetics, a term first introduced by Otto Schmitt in the 1950s for the exchange of thoughts from biology to innovation, has delivered some significant and effective devices.

Biomimicry (from bios, means life, and mimesis, means to imitate) is a science that studies nature’s best ideas and imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. “Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that develops sustainable solutions to human challenges by compete with nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies.”

One of the first examples of biomimicry was the study of birds to enable human flight. Although he was never able in creating a "flying machine", Leonardo da Vinci was a keen observer of the anatomy and made numerous notes and sketches on his observations as well as sketches of various "flying machines".

flying machine by Leonardo da Vinci

Automobile and biomimicry is the aim to combine design, technology and nature to develop vehicle which are more efficient, comfortable , sustainable and has distinctive aesthetics. Today, designs are more organic and in bionic form.

Mercedes Benz Bonic car

Box fish

Mercedes Benz wanted to create large aerodynamic masterpiece. So, they look nature for inspiration and looked for boxfish as an inspiration. Mercedes Benz modelled the around boxfish because of its low coefficient drag and its rigid exoskeleton which provide light weight construction

Hence, the streamline shape, low weight and coefficient of drag can aid in fuel economy, the drag of coefficient of drag is 0.19 compared to Lamborghini aventador 0.33, which is design to achieve high speed. The Mercedes Benz engineers managed to lower fuel consumption by 20%, and lessen nitrogen oxide emissions by 80%. The car can reach 0-60 km/h in 8 second with maximum speed of 118 km/h and has average of 30km/l.

Bonic Car, 2005

McLaren P1

The McLaren P1 is a hybrid supercar which can travels up to a speed of more than 350km/h. The McLaren p1 is designed by Frank Stephenson design director of McLaren Automotive. The Stephenson was inspired by Speed of sailfish and his curiosity lead in development of McLaren P1. When fish was analysed in lab and research was conducted that why was it so fast. It was found that the scales on the sailfish’s skin creates little vortices that result in the fish being enveloped in a bubble of air instead of denser water. The reduced drag allows the fish to move even faster. Hence, McLaren’s designers used the texture as the scales of the sailfish to the inside of the air ducts. Due to vortices generated the air intake of the engine increased. The volume of air going into the engine increased by 17%, improving the car’s efficiency.

The P1 in addition borrows little ‘diplets’ from the sailfish. Diplets are present on the torso of the fin where it meets the tail fin that the fish uses to straighten out the flow of pockets of air and water that move past it. This made the car more aerodynamic.

Mclaren P1,2013

REFERENCES

· Biomimcry institute, n.d. Biomimcry 101. [Online] Available at: https:/biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/ [Accessed 2018].

· ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY, n.d. [Online] Available at: http:/environment-ecology.com/biomimicry-bioneers/367-what-is-biomimicry.html [Accessed 2018].

· Chawla, D. S., 2014. bbc. [Online] Available at: http:/www.bbc.com/future/story/20140828-how-a-fish-inspired-a-supercar [Accessed 2018].

· Buehler, J., n.d. www.slatecom. [Online] Available at : http:/www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/03/mercedes_benz_bionic_car_boxfish_stability_and_agility_paradox_finally_solved.html [Accessed 2018].