Discover how nature's 3.8 billion years of innovation are inspiring sustainable, resilient solutions through biomimicry in modern engineering.
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21 Apr 2025
7 Min Read
Preevena Devi (Contributing Writer), Nellie Chan (Editor)
Discover how nature's 3.8 billion years of innovation are inspiring sustainable, resilient solutions through biomimicry in modern engineering.
When Swiss engineer George de Mestral and his four-legged companion returned from a hunting trip covered in burdock burrs, he didn't see an inconvenience—he saw inspiration. After studying the tiny hooks on the burrs under a microscope, he invented Velcro, a fastening system now ubiquitous in everything from fashion to aerospace technology. This simple yet profound observation underscores a timeless truth: nature has been quietly refining its designs for 3.8 billion years, offering us a blueprint for innovation.
Biomimicry, the practice of learning from and emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies, is gaining momentum as a guiding principle in modern engineering. It offers more than just inspiration, it provides a path towards sustainable, efficient, and resilient solutions for our rapidly evolving world.
Coined by biologist Janine Benyus in the late 1990s, biomimicry is more than aesthetic imitation; it's a methodology that seeks to deeply understand how nature solves problems and applies those lessons to human challenges. It invites engineers, designers, and scientists to ask a different kind of question—not just 'What can we take from nature?' but 'What can we learn from it?'
There are three levels of biomimicry, each offering a different way of thinking about design:
Nature's forms, refined for efficiency, strength, and resilience, optimise energy use and material resources within living systems. For instance, the bumpy leading edges of humpback whale flippers have inspired the design of wind turbine blades, enabling quieter operation, greater stability, and improved energy capture at lower wind speeds.
Processes in nature achieve remarkable results with minimal resources, always operating sustainably and regeneratively. For instance, by studying how leaves capture sunlight through photosynthesis, engineers are designing solar panels that maximise energy absorption and create systems that replenish rather than exhaust resources.
Ecosystems model a complex yet balanced network where every output becomes a new input, ensuring continuous renewal. For instance, by observing how forests reuse waste as resources, industries are adopting circular economic models that minimise waste, optimise resource flows, and foster resilience across interconnected systems.
Each level of biomimicry challenges practitioners to move beyond traditional linear design models and towards holistic, sustainable innovation.
Nature's ingenuity doesn't just inspire—it offers practical solutions to some of today's toughest engineering challenges. Here are some of the remarkable ways biomimicry is shaping innovation across industries:
The Shinkansen Bullet Train in Japan initially experienced loud sonic booms when exiting tunnels. Engineer Eiji Nakatsu, a keen birdwatcher, observed the streamlined beak of the kingfisher, which allows it to dive into water with minimal splash. Mimicking its shape, the train's nose was redesigned, leading to a quieter, faster, and 15% more energy-efficient mode of travel.
Sharks glide effortlessly through water thanks to microscopic ribbed structures on their skin called dermal denticles. Engineers replicated this texture on aircraft surfaces and swimsuits to reduce drag, resulting in significant reductions in fuel consumption for planes and record-breaking speeds in competitive swimming.
Butterfly Wing Micro-Aerodynamics:
Butterflies manipulate airflow using the microstructures on their wings, granting them remarkable flight control. Scientists have studied these adaptations to develop lighter, more stable surfaces for drones and aircraft, improving efficiency and manoeuvrability.
In Zimbabwe, architect Mick Pearce drew inspiration from termite mounds, which maintain stable internal climates despite extreme external temperatures. His design for the Eastgate Centre employs passive cooling and natural ventilation systems, consuming 90% less energy than conventional air-conditioned buildings.
The lotus leaf naturally repels water and dirt thanks to microscopic bumps on its surface. This phenomenon inspired hydrophobic coatings now used on glass, fabrics, and building facades, allowing structures to remain clean longer with minimal chemical cleaning, thereby reducing maintenance costs and environmental impact.
The honeybee's hexagonal honeycomb structure offers maximum strength with minimal material use. Architects and engineers are adopting similar hexagonal and modular designs to create lightweight, durable, and energy-efficient structures suited for a variety of architectural applications.
Spider silk is stronger than steel by weight yet remarkably elastic. Researchers are developing synthetic versions to create lightweight body armour, flexible surgical sutures, and biodegradable fishing lines, offering superior strength without environmental cost.
Geckos adhere to surfaces without liquids or suction, thanks to microscopic hair-like structures on their feet. Engineers have mimicked this natural mechanism to develop dry adhesives that can stick firmly and peel away cleanly, with promising applications in robotics and medical bandages.
The layered, resilient structure of mollusc shells, particularly those of abalones, has inspired the design of ultra-tough composites. These materials, developed for helmets and body armour, absorb impacts more efficiently while remaining lightweight and flexible.
The complex vein structures in leaves maximise sunlight capture. Engineers are replicating these patterns in the design of solar panels, improving energy absorption and maintaining the panels' efficiency even in diffused light conditions.
The Namib Desert beetle survives in arid environments by collecting moisture from fog on its textured shell. This adaptation inspired water-harvesting fabrics capable of extracting drinking water from the air, offering life-changing potential for drought-affected communities.
The fluid, swaying movement of kelp forests under ocean currents has inspired the design of wave energy converters. These devices, modelled after kelp biomechanics, offer a promising, low-impact method for generating renewable marine energy.
Despite its immense promise, the practical application of biomimicry is neither simple nor straightforward. Translating nature's systems into human technologies presents a range of challenges:
Nature's designs are intricate and highly context-specific. Simplifying or scaling these complex systems for human use can be daunting, and many technologies, such as artificial photosynthesis, still struggle to match natural efficiencies.
As biomimetic technologies evolve, they raise important ethical questions. Where does imitation cross into manipulation? Especially with the rise of synthetic biology, clear ethical frameworks are needed to guide responsible innovation.
Biomimicry demands seamless collaboration between biologists, engineers, material scientists, and designers. However, traditional academic and professional silos often slow down the translation of natural strategies into viable technologies.
Biomimetic innovation often requires significant investment in research, prototyping, and testing. Cost barriers can delay commercialisation, as seen in efforts to mass-produce gecko-inspired adhesives.
While the challenges of applying biomimicry are real and complex, they are far from insurmountable. Many of the obstacles that once limited its growth, such as the intricacy of natural designs and the difficulty of testing biomimetic concepts, are now being addressed through rapid technological advances.
Emerging fields like advanced materials, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence (AI) are making it possible to model, simulate, and refine nature-inspired designs with unprecedented precision. Engineers and designers can now explore biological strategies digitally, predicting performance and improving concepts long before physical prototypes are built. This accelerates innovation, reduces costs, and encourages a bolder, more experimental approach to solving engineering challenges.
Educational institutions are recognising the transformative potential of biomimicry. Leading universities and research centres are weaving it into engineering, design, and sustainability programmes, nurturing a generation of innovators trained to think biologically from the outset. Initiatives like those led by the Biomimicry Institute (advancing education and real-world innovation in biomimicry), startups such as Bolt (pioneering synthetic spider silk), and research projects like Flectofold (developing foldable plant-inspired structures) show that biomimicry is steadily moving into mainstream application.
As global crises like climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion intensify, the need for regenerative, resilient solutions has never been more urgent. Biomimicry offers a rare combination: it is both scientifically rigorous and profoundly hopeful—a practical pathway for designing technologies that not only meet human needs but also work in harmony with the natural world.
Nature's 3.8 billion years of research and development offer humanity an unparalleled reservoir of sustainable, resilient, and elegant solutions. Every organism, ecosystem, and process teaches us how to thrive without exhausting the resources that sustain life—a blueprint for genuine sustainability.
As Janine Benyus aptly put it, 'The more our world looks like the natural world, the more likely we are to thrive within it.'
The future of engineering lies not just in human ingenuity but in our humility and willingness to look to nature—not merely for inspiration, but for instruction. By following nature's blueprint, engineers can design systems that regenerate, adapt, and endure in harmony with the planet, holding the promise of a more symbiotic relationship between humanity and the planet we call home.
Preevena Devi pursued Cambridge A Level at Taylor's College before attending Monash University. She is a biomedical science student, a passionate feminist, and a firm believer in the transformative power of the written word to change the world!
