Beyond Organic Shapes

摘要

SOME EXAMPLES OF BIOMIMICRY are easy to spot, because the form is a dead giveaway. The Dew Bank Bottle, a moisture-collecting device designed by the Seoul National University of Technology's Pak Kitae, not only works like, but also looks like, its biological inspiration: The dome-shaped back of the Namibian beetle. The structural beams of China's iconic stadium for the 2008 Olympic Games mimic the intricate woven twigs found in bird nests, the project's inspiration. The wedge-shape nose of Japan's Shinkansen bullet train bears a striking resemblance to the Kingfisher's beak, which the engineers studied to reduce noise and air pressure in the train's tunnel runs.