Lab+Eight


 * CCT 333 Tutorial 8

Biomimicry: Janine Benyus and the Biomimicry Institute and Guild **

1) Write a short, one paragraph synopsis for each of your four favourite product designs. (4 paragraphs) ** **Avian Elements** High-Speed Train A fast bullet train is made from using birds, owls as an inspiration which is appealing since the nature gives us so many ideas that can be used in our technologies to make them better. The trains nose cone design is modeled from a kingfishers beak which reduces noise pollution. The design of the owl features was converted to small serrations which reduced the noise generated from the trains pantograph.

= Echolocation = Sonar-Enabled Cane Animals navigate in their lives without a GPS, hence taking ideas from how they navigate could solve our problems to navigate. The ultra cane device was made for vision impaired users that use a sonar like technology which operates on sound waves that helps an individual navigate through dark to reduce collisions. The technologies sends sound waves ahead of the person who is using the cane so they can sense upcoming objects which therefore will help the navigate themselves.

**Keeping the Bugs Out** Antibacterial Film

Scientists have observed seaweed which uses natural compounds to prevent bacteria from gathering by jamming them or interfering them during colonization. This technology is also applied to contact lenses to stop bacteria from forming. This was a very interesting technology since when bacteria forms, it is hard to detect it since some it can be invistible. Hence, this technology usesc ompound built within the existing technology to prevents bacteria. Being a contact wearer, this technology came of great interest. **Skeleton Key** Bone Furniture



This design mimics the structure of bones. The chair has a very firm structure. The process by which bones grow over time was used as mimicry for this design to make the aluminum chair. General motors used this design as an example and developed car parts that are lighter and stronger than the usual make. This design is appealing since it shows how something inside of humans can influence a design and how the design operates.

//Source:// [|//http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0209_green_biomimic/index_01.htm//]

** 2) Write three paragraphs defining how, according to Janine Benyus, "the simple, elegant mechanics developed by nature often make sense in a human context, too". (3 paragraphs) **

Janine Benyus’s book Biomimcy was inspired by nature to create similar product designs. Benyus emphasizes that business should understand the nature and use how they interact in different ways. Nature uses a sustainable design which can be looked upon as an inspiration to create products that would be beneficial to the organizations. Sustainability and naturalizing biomimcry should be interrelated and should develop ideas that can be used in businesses. She wanted to tell businesses that nature can give us many inspiring ideas so they can go make products that are waterproof, solar powered, more efficient and more. She defines animal that live in nature as geniuses which we are surrounded by. Those organisms live so graciously on our planet. Nature itself is so beautiful, then they create that beauty which resides within them.

In the field of biomimcry, organisms are doing very simpler things that we as humans do but more gracefully. She mentions that every time when a business invents something, they should question themselves about how nature would solve the problem and then go on with the process. Hence, what can we learn from this organism? This knowledge will be very favourable to businesses. All in all, biomicicry can be summarized in three words: substainable, innovation and most importantly inspired by nature.

//Source:// [|//http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_48/b4157034230199.htm//]

// A video of Benyus : Biomimcry in Action //

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