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[Get Inspired by Nature] Inspired by Form and Structure

This page is devoted to both Japanese and overseas examples of technology derived from study of the form and structure of animals and plants.
(See "Table legend" at the bottom of this page for an explanation of table content)


Photo by brittanyhock
Elephant
Communicates with other elephants far away
Use of infrasound
Elephants use the soles of their feet to pick up sounds generated 30-40 km away that are of a far lower frequency than humans can hear.
Forecasting tsunami and unusual movements in the earth's crust
Dr. Joyce Poole
AskNature: Vibrations alert others to danger -- elephants
Amazing Nature Database: Elephant tsunami prediction (Japanese only)



Photo by wwarby
Black kite eye
Controls the amount of UV light entering the eye
Protection of eye by reducing glare
Blood vessels arranged in a pleated pattern form a membrane (pectin oculi) in the eye that produces melanin on exposure to UV light to block it from damaging the back of the eye.
More effective sunglasses, window glass
Professor S.G. Kiama et al., University of Nairobi
Amazing Nature Database: How black kites protect their eyes from UV light (Japanese only)


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Photo by pjoh
Moth eye
Traps incident light and prevents reflection
Microscopic nipple structure
The surface of moth eyes is covered in microscopic nipples that refract light repeatedly, preventing it from being reflected.
Non-reflective screens, anti-reflective film for coating photovoltaic cells
Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Oji Paper Co. and many others
AskNature: Moth eye antireflective coatings
Amazing Nature Database: The light-trapping moth eye (Japanese only)



Photo by rachaelwrites
Abalone
Has a very strong shell
Tough ceramic materials
Abalone shells have a laminate structure composed of over 1,000 extremely thin layers of calcium carbonate.
Lightweight car or rocket body material
National Institute for Materials Science, etc.
AskNature: Shells are tough: red abalone
Amazing Nature Database: Why an abalone shell can survive being hit with a hammer or run over by a car (Japanese only)


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Photo by counti8
Lotus leaf
Repels water
Antifouling, water-repellent coating
Minute nooks, crannies and knobs on the surface of lotus leaves cause water to form into droplets that also gather dirt as they roll off the leaf.
Outer walls, toilets, textiles, car wing mirrors etc. that are resistant to fouling
University of Bonn, etc.
AskNature: Hydrophobic surface allows self-cleaning -- sacred lotus
Amazing Nature Database: Lotus leaves that repel water and never get dirty by creating water droplets (Japanese only)


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Photo by alles-schlumpf
Gecko
Climbs vertical walls and walks across ceilings without losing grip
Adhesive tape
The hair-like setae on the footpads of geckos enhance the strength of physical forces of attraction known as van der Waals forces, enabling geckos to adhere to surfaces.
Strongly adhesive tape that is also easy to peel off
University of Manchester/ Dayton University/ Nitto Denko/ Osaka University, etc.
AskNature: Gecko Inspired Bandage
Amazing Nature Database: How geckos runs across ceilings (Japanese only)


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Photo by Mike_tn
Burdock seed
Clings to a substrate
Fastener
The tips of the seeds are hooked, and easily attach to fabric and other materials.
VelcroR
Velcro / Kuraray, etc.
AskNature: Hooks adhere to wooly coats -- burdock
Amazing Nature Database: Burdock, the seed that sticks to you and never lets go (Japanese only)


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Photo by flickkerphotos
Humpback whale flippers
Bumpy-ridged
Wind turbine blades
The bumps (tubercles) on the flippers enable the whale to better control the flow of water across the flipper and prevent stalling even at slow speeds.
Wind turbine that turns in light winds and creates little noise and vibration
WhalePower Corporation
AskNature: Flippers provide lift, reduce drag -- humpback whale
Amazing Nature Database: The energy-efficient design of humpback whale flippers (Japanese only)


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Photo by Ros in wonderland
Shark scales
Smooth from head to tail, rough from tail to head
Reduction of friction with water
Minute grooves on surface of the scales reduce friction and prevent turbulence.
Competition swimwear, boat surface coatings
Mizuno Corp. / SpeedoR(Goldwin/ Speedo International Ltd.), etc.
AskNature: Skin reduces drag -- shark
Amazing Nature Database: Sharkskin for smooth and speedy swimming (Japanese only)


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Photo by The_Gut
Cuttlefish
Changes body color
Display screens
Cuttlefish change color by changing arrangement of muscle pigment cells in response to signals sent from eyes to brain.
Energy-efficient displays that are easy on the eyes
TDK, etc.
AskNature: Rapid color change used for protection -- cuttlefish
Amazing Nature Database: Changing color in a flash like the cuttlefish (Japanese only)



Photo by jpockele
Rodent (rats, squirrels, beaver, etc.) teeth
Razor-sharp incisors
Blades that remain sharp
Rodent incisors retain their sharpness through continuous growth and wear.
New dental treatments, industrial machine blades
 
AskNature: Teeth are resilient -- sea otter
Amazing Nature Database: Rodent teeth that sharpen themselves through constant nibbling (Japanese only)


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Photo by Peewubblewoo
Sheep wool
Keeps sheep warm in winter and cool in summer
Acryl, felt
The protein that makes up wool forms helical coils that give wool its ability to hold air.
Fibers that conduct little heat and are resistant to friction and stretching
Nagao Shoji, etc.
Amazing Nature Database: Wearing air to stay cool in summer and warm in winter (Japanese only)



Photo by underclasscameraman
Pine cone
Ejects seeds when humidity is low
Smart fabrics that become more or less porous according to humidity
Because seeds will not fly far if the air is humid, pine cones open up when humidity is low so that seeds are released at the best time.
Development of new fibers that respond to humidity, windows that open and close without a power source, etc.
Professor Julian Vincent, University of Bath / MMT Textiles, etc.
AskNature: Cone scales are humidity-sensitive -- pine
Amazing Nature Database: The humidity-sensitive pine cone (Japanese only)


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Photo by Josoroma
Morpho butterfly wings
Coated in microscopic scales
Reflective coatings, structural colored fibers, displays that require no backlighting
The scales have a complex layered structure that gives them a blue shimmer depending on angle without having any actual blue pigment.
Coloring without pigments, saving energy with displays that do not require backlighting
Teijin, JDS Uniphase, Qualcomm, etc.
AskNature: Morphotex structural colored fibers
Fast Company website Biomimicry: Nature-Inspired Designs
NHK Eco Channel: Science writer Janine Benyus (2) Mimicking natural structures (Japanese only)


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Photo by man pikin
Lobster
Covered in a hard shell (carapace)
Mobile phone housing
2-layered structure of hard and soft layers of chitin combined with calcium carbonate
Tough material able to withstand shock, vibration and changes in temperature
Motorola
Fast Company website Biomimicry: Nature-Inspired Designs



Photo by gwylow71
Box fish
Box-shaped
Tougher, lighter car body
The box fish's bony plate has evolved to give the body a sturdy box shape that also glides easily through water.
Car that is not only tough and light, but also aerodynamic, reducing fuel consumption
Mercedes Benz
AskNature: Fish maintain stability in turbulence -- spotted boxfish
Amazing Nature Database: It may not look it, but the box fish is streamlined as well as sturdy (Japanese only)



Photo by Nokes
Thorny Devil
Uses spiny ridges to channel scarce water to its mouth
Water collection device
The grooves between the spiny ridges channel water to the lizard's mouth by capillary effect.
Gathering atmospheric moisture to produce drinking water, carrying water to the top floor of high buildings without expending any power
 
AskNature: Grooves gather water -- thorny devil
Amazing Nature Database: A lizard equipped with its own water supply (Japanese only)


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Photo by Mshai
Wasp nestHexagonal structure
Substructure supporting the surface of huge observatory telescope mirrors
Lightweight but sturdy enough to support weight, and also permeable (with cavities)
Supports the heavy 8.5 m-wide mirror surface so well that it bends no more than 15 nm. The cavity structure also enables air to circulate, cooling the glass and creating a sharper image.
Steward Observatory Mirror Lab, University of Arizona
Fast Company website Biomimicry: Nature-Inspired Designs
University of Arizona press release


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Photo by Sergey Yeliseev
Kingfisher
Dives
Bullet train 500 series nose design
The kingfisher dives at high speed with very little splash, thanks to its slightly parabolic beak shape
Little wind resistance even at high speed, noise reduction
Eiji Nakatsu, Test Director (former), West Japan Railway Co.
JFS Biomimicry Interview Series: No.6 "Shinkansen Technology Learned from an Owl?" - The story of Eiji Nakatsu


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Photo by weboo
Termite mound
Maintains stable internal temperature through adjusting humidity and circulating air
INAX Ecocarat breathing walls
Building materials made of clay can leverage clay's porous nature to enable ventilation and humidity adjustment.
Walls or floors that automatically adjust humidity control and remove odors
INAX Corp.
AskNature: Mound passively heats/cools -- compass termite
Nature Technology Database: The outstanding air-conditioning capabilities of termite mounds (Japanese only)


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Photo by makitani
Owl feathers
Serrated wing feathers
Bullet train 500 series pantographs
The comb-like serrated edges of the feathers reduce noise created during flying.
Giving the pantograph props a serrated profile reduced noise.
Eiji Nakatsu, Test Director (former), West Japan Railway Co.
JFS Biomimicry Interview Series: No.6 "Shinkansen Technology Learned from an Owl?" - The story of Eiji Nakatsus


Table legend ask-nature01.jpg
photo creditLike ... (plant or animal)
What it is or does
Outcome
Natural process involved
Potential application for human society
Researcher or research organization
Information source

ask-nature01.jpgThis mark signifies an example that has already been commercialized.


This project has been funded by Hitachi Environment Foundation under its fiscal 2011 funding program for NPOs.
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