Biomimetic Material

Definition

Biomimetic materials are materials developed using inspiration from nature (natural material or
natural process). This may be useful in the design of composite materials, or material structures.
Natural structures have evolved many inspiring examples that have been used by man. Common
examples are the honeycomb structure of the beehive, the fiber structure of wood, spider silks,
nacre, bone, and hedgehog quills.

Biomimetics is the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate
or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems. The term ‘biomimicry‘, or imitation of
nature, has been defined as ‘copying or adaptation or derivation from biology‘. Biomimetics,
ideally, should be the process of incorporating principles that promote sustainability much like
nature does from ‘cradle to grave, from raw material usage to recyclability, all in this physical
world.

The term biomimetics only entered the Webster's Dictionary in 1974 and is defined as "the study of
the formation, structure, or function of biologically produced substances and materials (as enzymes
or silk) and biological mechanisms and processes (such as protein synthesis or photosynthesis),
especially for the purpose of synthesizing similar products by artificial mechanisms which mimic
natural ones"

● Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was a keen observer of the anatomy and flight of birds, and
made numerous notes and sketches on his observations as well as sketches of various "flying
machines"
● The Wright Brothers, who succeeded in flying the first heavier-than-air aircraft in 1903,
derived inspiration from observations of pigeons in flight
● Otto Schmitt, an American academic and inventor, coined the term biomimetics to describe
the transfer of ideas from biology to technology

Figure 1 Biomimetic nanotechnology—The Roadmap

Biologically Inspired Structures and Parts

● Honeycomb as a Strong, Lightweight Structure

Honeycombs consist of perfect hexagonal cellular structures and they offer optimal packing
shape. For the honeybees, the geometry meets their need for making a structure that
provides the maximum amount of stable containment (honey, larvae) using the minimum
amount of material. The honeycomb is, for the same reasons, an ideal structure for the
construction of control surfaces of an aircraft and it can be found in the wing, elevators, tail,
floor, and many other parts that need strength and large dimensions while maintaining a low
weight.

Figure 1 The honeycomb (left) and cross-section of construction in aircraft control surface
(right)
● Fishing Nets and Screens
The fishing net is another of nature’s inventions that most likely has been imitated by
humans after observing the spider’s use of its web to catch flies. At an even more basic
level, the concept of fiber or string may well have been inspired by the spider. Both the
spider web and the fishing net have structural similarities and carry out the same function of
trapping creatures passing by. Besides the use of nets to catch fish, insects, and animals,
humans further expanded the application of the concept of the net to such tools as bags for
carrying and storage of objects, protective covers against insects, and mounting stored food
while allowing aeration

Figure 2 Fishing net (left) and spider web (right)

● Body Armor
The shell is another means of protection that some creatures are equipped with, both on
Earth and underwater, and to a certain extent also in some flying insects. Creatures with
body armor include the turtle, snails, and various shelled marine creatures (e.g., mussels,
etc.). The idea of body protection was adapted by humans many thousands of years ago in
the form of body armor in order to provide cover for the whole body. The armor that knights
wore for defense during the Middle Ages provided a metal shield from head to toe n Japan,
a more flexible armor was produced that consisted of thin metal strips connected with
flexible leather bands.

Figure 3 Snail armor (left) and knight armor (right)

● Robotics Emulating Biology
Bio-inspired mechanisms are not only based on legs — since wind is blown throughout
Mars, producing a spacecraft that imitates the tumbleweed offers an attractive option. The
tumbleweed inspired the design of a mobility system that uses wind rather than a
power-consuming mechanism. As shown in Figure 1.17, the tumbleweed has inspired a
futuristic lander that is being investigated as a potential vehicle for mobility on Mars

Figure 4 The tumbleweed (left) offered inspiration for a futuristic design of a Mars lander.
Daftar Pustaka

Calvert, P. and Azhari, A. (2016) ‘Biomimetic Materials: Properties and Processing’, Reference
Module in Materials Science and Materials Engineering, pp. 1–8. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-803581-8.02244-x.

Solomon, O. (2013) ‘Biomimetic Materials in Our World: A Review.’, IOSR Journal of Applied
Chemistr, 5(3), pp. 22–35. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9790/5736-0532235.