The first bullet train, inspired by its designer's love for birdwatching and the streamlined shape of a kingfisher, and Velcro, modeled after the burrs of the burdock plant that clung to its inventor's dog's fur, are just two examples of how biology has inspired commonplace inventions. But what exactly is biomimicry?
According to Janine Benyus, founder of the Biomimicry Institute and the term itself, biomimicry can be defined as "an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies. The goal is to create products, processes, and policies—new ways of living—that are well-adapted to life on earth over the long haul."
Even though the concept seems quite simple, it surprisingly incurs significant debate about whether such designs actually result in sustainable outcomes later down the line in nature. For us to really conceptualize this issue, however, it would help to understand some important principles that biomimicry revolves around
Biomimicry's Building Blocks
Going back to Janine Benyus, she describes biomimicry more from the technology-driven approach that implements nature's lessons in practice. This involves 3 main constituents:
Model: This refers to how biomimicry analyzes nature's intricacies to replicate them in a way that fixes current human issues
Measure: Where biomimicry factors in ecological metrics to determine how effective such human innovations are
Mentor: Wherein biomimicry provides a novel perspective to understand and value nature
These three components provide a foundation for viewing biomimicry applications across fields from engineering to medicine. Let us consider two examples. The Parasitic Wasp-Inspired Needle, for instance, mimics the egg-laying organ of the wasp to create a flexible needle that can navigate sensitive, narrow spaces. A byproduct of this has led to more detailed practices with smaller force. Our second example would be the Geco-inspired Surgical Glue. This is inspired by the strongly adhesive power of gecko feet and has created new approaches to solving issues pertaining to tissue bonding and organ repair
Biomimicry's Battles
While promising, biomimicry is not without its challenges. There are often several technical and practical limits that appear when trying to implement these nature-inspired solutions. This is often because while the principles surrounding biomimicry seem simple, the ability to translate them into feasible products may require technology that may not even exist or scarce materials. Additionally, scaling such innovations often requires large investments and may present financial challenges, especially when the return of investment isnt quick.
Furthermore, another key issue is the tension that exists between "strong" and "weak" biomimicry. Weak biomimicry focuses on imitating nature primarily for financial gain, often overlooking broader environmental impacts and leading to an almost commodification of nature. On the contrary, strong biomimicry aligns more closer to strong ecological principles such as sustainability and solidarity. This is often met with massive challenges, however, as many industries may prefer efficiency over the obvious ecological ethics.
Biomimicry's Ethical Dilemmas
One particular ethical concern in biomimicry is "biopiracy". This is where individuals or companies patent natural designs and disregard the places, communities, or cultures wherein they originate from. Moreover, by only looking at nature as a resource to be exploited, a risk of reinforcing anthropocentric (viewing humans as the most important life form) views exists, which could potentially undermine the sustainability of such innovations.
Finally, biomimicry serves as a reminder for humans to reconsider their role in nature, moving from one where humans are the most "important" or superior creatures, to one where we are simply participants in a more overarching cycle.
By emphasizing the various interactions we perceive throughout our lives, biomimicry thus facilitates a transition towards a more encompassing and sustainable future. A future where nature is not valued for its practical benefits to society, but for its intrinsic value. In order for us to attain this future, we need to work together as a society to overcome challenges in upscaling and regulation and balance out the intricate scales of profit-driven incentives with eco-centric values.
References:
Ilieva, L.; Ursano, I.; Traista, L.; Hoffmann, B.; Dahy, H. Biomimicry as a Sustainable Design Methodology—Introducing the ‘Biomimicry for Sustainability’ Framework. Biomimetics 2022, 7 (2), 37. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7020037.
EarthSky. EarthSky | A kingfisher inspired a bullet train. EarthSky | Updates on Your Cosmos and World. https://earthsky.org/earth/sunni-robertson-on-how-a-kingfisher-inspired-a-bullet-train/.
What is biomimicry? Definition and examples of biomimicry. Youmatter-dev. https://youmatter.world/en/definition/definitions-what-is-biomimicry-definition-examples/.
9 Bioinspired Medical Technologies - ASME. https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/9-bioinspired-medical-technologies. Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board