Biomimicry For Materials Design And Habitats

Biomimicry for Materials, Design and Habitats: Innovations and Applications and is a survey of the recent work of recognized experts in a variety of fields who employ biomimicry and related paradigms to solve key problems of interest within design, science, technology, and society. Topics covered include innovations from biomimicry in materials, product design, architecture, and biological sciences. The book is a useful resource for educators, designers, researchers, engineers, and materials scientists, taking them from the theory behind biomimicry to real world applications. Living systems have evolved innovative solutions to challenges that humans face on a daily basis. Nonlinear multifunctional systems that have a symbiotic relationship with their environment are the domain of nature. Morphological solutions for buildings inspired by nature can be used for skins, surfaces, and structures to facilitate environmental adaptation of buildings to increase occupant comfort and reduce energy demands. Birds can teach us to produce novel structures, 3D printing can be informed by oysters and mussels, and mycelium may show us the way to fabricate new biocomposites in architecture. Therefore, it is in nature that we seek inspiration for the solutions to tomorrow’s challenges. Presents new directions in education and the various applications of biomimicry within industry, including bio-inspired entrepreneurship Discusses the role of biomimicry in education, innovation, and product design Covers applications in systems engineering and design, novel materials with applications in 3D printing, and bio-inspired architecture Includes perspectives on sustainability detailing the role that bio-inspiration or biomimicry plays in sustainability

★“Fascinating...An appealing resource sure to spark an interest in biomimicry, from casual readers to budding scientists. Recommended for all libraries.”—School Library Journal, starred review Did you know that lamps can be powered by glowing bacteria instead of electricity? That gloves designed like gecko feet let people climb straight up glass walls? Or that kids are finding ways to make compostable plastic out of banana peels? Biomimicry, the scientific term for when we learn from and copy nature, is a revolutionary way to look to nature for answers to environmental problems such as climate change. In Design Like Nature young readers discover innovations and inventions inspired by the environment. Nature runs the entire planet with no waste and no pollution. Can humans learn to do this too? It's time to step outside and start designing like nature.

Engineered Biomimicry covers a broad range of research topics in the emerging discipline of biomimicry. Biologically inspired science and technology, using the principles of math and physics, has led to the development of products as ubiquitous as VelcroTM (modeled after the spiny hooks on plant seeds and fruits). Readers will learn to take ideas and concepts like this from nature, implement them in research, and understand and explain diverse phenomena and their related functions. From bioinspired computing and medical products to biomimetic applications like artificial muscles, MEMS, textiles and vision sensors, Engineered Biomimicry explores a wide range of technologies informed by living natural systems. Engineered Biomimicry helps physicists, engineers and material scientists seek solutions in nature to the most pressing technical problems of our times, while providing a solid understanding of the important role of biophysics. Some physical applications include adhesion superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning, structural coloration, photonic devices, biomaterials and composite materials, sensor systems, robotics and locomotion, and ultra-lightweight structures. Explores biomimicry, a fast-growing, cross-disciplinary field in which researchers study biological activities in nature to make critical advancements in science and engineering Introduces bioinspiration, biomimetics, and bioreplication, and provides biological background and practical applications for each Cutting-edge topics include bio-inspired robotics, microflyers, surface modification and more

Design in engineering and science has often been inspired by nature. This has been more evident in recent years, after a period during which our civilization thought in terms of taming rather than working in harmony with nature. The consequences of that approach are still with us and have resulted in a world increasingly homogenized, lacking in biodiversity and with increased pollution. Mankind has been slow to learn and even slower to apply the lessons that nature offers, in spite of the urgency of our predicament. This book contains papers presented at the fourth International Conference on Comparing Design in Nature with Science and Engineering . The emphasis of this Volume is on engineering and architectural applications and on biomimetics, reflecting in some measure current interest in finding environmentally friendly solutions which also optimize the use of natural resources. The contributions have been arranged into the following topics: Biomimetics; Shape and Form in Engineering Nature; Nature and Architectural Design; Natural Materials and Surfaces; Complexity; and Education.

Repackaged with a new afterword, this "valuable and entertaining" (New York Times Book Review) book explores how scientists are adapting nature's best ideas to solve tough 21st century problems. Biomimicry is rapidly transforming life on earth. Biomimics study nature's most successful ideas over the past 3.5 million years, and adapt them for human use. The results are revolutionizing how materials are invented and how we compute, heal ourselves, repair the environment, and feed the world. Janine Benyus takes readers into the lab and in the field with maverick thinkers as they: discover miracle drugs by watching what chimps eat when they're sick; learn how to create by watching spiders weave fibers; harness energy by examining how a leaf converts sunlight into fuel in trillionths of a second; and many more examples. Composed of stories of vision and invention, personalities and pipe dreams, Biomimicry is must reading for anyone interested in the shape of our future.

Laser powder bed fusion of metals is a technology that makes use of a laser beam to selectively melt metal powder layer-by-layer in order to fabricate complex geometries in high performance materials. The technology is currently transforming aerospace and biomedical manufacturing and its adoption is widening into other industries as well, including automotive, energy, and traditional manufacturing. With an increase in design freedom brought to bear by additive manufacturing, new opportunities are emerging for designs not possible previously and in material systems that now provide sufficient performance to be qualified in end-use mission-critical applications. After decades of research and development, laser powder bed fusion is now enabling a new era of digitally driven manufacturing. Fundamentals of Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Metals will provide the fundamental principles in a broad range of topics relating to metal laser powder bed fusion. The target audience includes new users, focusing on graduate and undergraduate students; however, this book can also serve as a reference for experienced users as well, including senior researchers and engineers in industry. The current best practices are discussed in detail, as well as the limitations, challenges, and potential research and commercial opportunities moving forward. Presents laser powder bed fusion fundamentals, as well as their inherent challenges Provides an up-to-date summary of this advancing technology and its potential Provides a comprehensive textbook for universities, as well as a reference for industry Acts as quick-reference guide

In today's context of intricate global challenges, encompassing climate crises, resource scarcity, and social disparities, the imperative for sustainable development has never been more pressing. While academic scholars and researchers are instrumental in crafting solutions, they often grapple with the intricate balance between theoretical concepts and practical implementation. This gap impedes the transformation of innovative ideas into tangible societal progress, leaving a void where effective real-world strategies for cross-industry sustainability should flourish. "Fostering Cross-Industry Sustainability With Intelligent Technologies" seeks to bridge this divide. This book is more than just a collection of pages; it serves as a roadmap for those determined to make a tangible impact. It brings together a diverse group of esteemed experts from various disciplines, offering a comprehensive spectrum of actionable insights, all grounded in the ethical imperatives of inclusivity and environmental responsibility. Anchored in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this volume serves as a guiding star, channeling theoretical expertise into practical solutions. For academic scholars, scientists, innovators, and students alike, Fostering Cross-Industry Sustainability With Intelligent Technologies is the definitive guidepost. It fosters a profound understanding of the real-world implications of research, promoting interdisciplinary collaborations that transcend conventional boundaries. This comprehensive book presents a wealth of sustainable science and intelligent technology applications, all while emphasizing the importance of ethics and societal impact. With visionary insights woven throughout its pages, it calls upon humanity to envision a future where challenges transform into opportunities, and sustainable development becomes an attainable reality.

This volume presents a series of case studies, at different levels of inclusivity, of how organisms exhibit functional convergence as a key evolutionary mechanism resulting in responses to similar environmental constraints in mechanically similar ways. The contributors to this volume have selected and documented cases of convergent evolution of form and function that are perceived to be driven by environmental abiotic and/or biotic challenges that fall within their areas of expertise. Collectively these chapters explore this phenomenon across a broad phylogenetic spectrum. The sequence of chapters follows the organizational principle of increasing phylogenetic inclusivity, rather than the clustering of chapters by perceived similarity of the phenotypic features or biomechanical challenges being considered. This is done to maintain focus on the evolutionary phenomenon that is the primary subject matter of the book, thereby providing a basis for discussion among the readership about what is necessary and sufficient to justify the recognition of functional convergence. All chapters stress the need for integrative approaches for the elucidation of both pattern and process as they relate to convergence at various taxonomic levels.