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Yule Heibel's Library tagged biomimicry   View Popular

03 Dec 08

A New Twist on Hydropower - MIT Technology Review

Fascinating report on how a new mechanical device, which "mimics how fish harness energy from water flow," could contribute to the sustainable energy toolkit.

(Since the device is based on mimicking how fish do it, I'm adding the "biomimicry" tag to this article.)

www.technologyreview.com/...21749 - Preview

mit_techreview hydropower energy biomimicry vivace vortex_hydro_energy

VIVACE: Energy from Slow Currents - MIT Technology Review: Videos

Video demo of how VIVACE works (the device developed to mimic how fish harness energy from water currents).

www.technologyreview.com/video - Preview

mit_techreview vivace biomimicry hydropower video energy vortex_hydro_energy

20 Oct 08

Sun + Water = Fuel (MIT Technology Review)

Fascinating article about Daniel Nocera's work on biomimical process similar to photosynthesis, except in this case it's sunlight turning water into hydrogen. If the process can scale, it has revolutionary implications for energy supplies.

www.technologyreview.com/...21536 - Preview

biomimicry daniel_nocera photosynthesis energy hydrogen fuel

17 Sep 08

Technology Review: Synthetic Tree Hauls Water

Learning from nature (biomimicry & engineering)....

www.technologyreview.com/...21382 - Preview

biomimicry engineering

  • A tree can transport water an amazing distance--from its roots, through a trunk up to 85 meters tall, and finally to its leaves, where the water evaporates. Now, scientists at Cornell University have created a microfluidic system to mimic that process. Their "synthetic tree" opens up a new way to move liquids over long distances without using mechanical pumps.
  • created the synthetic tree out of a thin sheet of hydrogel, a material more commonly used to make contact lenses. They etched two networks of parallel channels into the hydrogel to represent the capillaries in a tree's root system as well as the ones in its leaves. They connected the two networks with a single channel representing the trunk of the tree.
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03 Jun 08

Nature's Photonic Crystal, by Kristina Grifantini (MIT Technology Review)

File this under "I HEART biomimicry!" Amazing piece about scientists discovering that a lowly Brazilian beetle manufactures --chemically! -- scales that essentially function as a photonic crystal structure for visible light. Now the scientists are not only making molds or copies of the beetles amazing crystal structure embedded in its scales, but are trying to mimic (figure out) the chemical processes by which the beetle creates them in the first place.

(Note: I'm highlighting the entire article to have in my Diigo archive, as I've noticed that some MIT Tech Review articles disappear after a while.)

www.technologyreview.com/...20840 - Preview

biomimicry nature science photonic_crystal_structure nanotechnology

  • Researchers have discovered a species of Brazilian beetle that has the unusual trait of reflecting iridescent green from almost any angle. By examining the structure of the beetle's scales, scientists at the University of Utah found an ideal photonic-crystal structure for visible light--a type of material that optical scientists have been seeking for years.
  • Three-dimensional periodic structures called photonic crystals are potentially valuable materials for controlling photons; scientists could use photonic crystals operating at visible wavelengths to develop more-efficient solar cells, telecommunications, sensors, and even optical computer chips. A diamond-based structure, in particular, is thought to be the most effective three-dimensional photonic crystal for visible light, because it can reflect a wide band of colors and has high reflectivity. Less light escaping means researchers can better control and manipulate the photons.
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23 May 08

Transmaterial 2: To Redefine Our Physical Environment - PingMag - The Tokyo-based magazine about “Design and Making Things”

PingMag interview with Blaine Brownell, architect and sustainable materials researcher, whose focus is on green building.

"From repurposed materials that act as surrogates, to recombinant ones that fuse several materials into a hybrid, making them stronger and more effective — Blaine points us to products that might shape our physical environment in the future."

Materials discussed include self-healing polymers inspired by biological systems, which can automatically heal cracks in buildings, for example.

The article includes many other photographs / examples with descriptions of weird and wonderful bioneered and sustainable building materials.

pingmag.jp/...sform-our-physical-environment - Preview

pingmag transmaterial bioneering biomimicry architecture technology blaine_brownell sustainable_materials

  • I studied architecture and practised in the field for over a decade, and I believe this experience has been essential because of my exposure to the exploding number of innovative building materials. During my early years of practice, I had a chance to research materials for a prominent project and was impressed by the challenges as well as opportunities associated with this task. I immediately saw a need to share this — which typically gets archived when a project is completed — with a larger audience of architects, designers, contractors, etc. I began an electronic journal and database, which quickly became popular with a growing audience of material enthusiasts who have given generous feedback. Over time, I have been able to appreciate the critical trajectories of material development as a result.
  • Although Europe and Japan are largely ahead of the curve, the United States has struggled with the development of sustainable building practices since the softening of the 1970s oil crisis that initiated much of the initial interest in green architecture in this country. I think the primary challenge to sustainable design is the fact that it has been viewed primarily as a long-term intellectual proposition without immediate economic benefit, and the relatively cheap cost of petroleum has made it nearly impossible to convince industries to consider other alternatives.
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