Getting inspiration from animals and plants and using them for inventions and creations is the content of bionics.
Biomimicry refers to the science of human inventions and creations by imitating biological functions. It is a new edge discipline. The research object is the structure, function and working principle of living organisms, and these principles are transplanted into artificial engineering technology. The advent of this subject has greatly broadened human technological horizons, shown huge development potential, and is the crystallization of human wisdom.
There are countless examples of the application of bionics:
Inspired from the ultrasonic waves of bats, radar for aviation and sonar for navigation were invented.
Taking inspiration from the streamlined body of the sperm whale, he improved the shape of the ship and greatly increased its sailing speed.
Inspired by the protruding eyes of frogs, we invented electronic frog eyes for road monitoring.
Taking inspiration from the honeycomb-shaped structure of the small eyes in the compound eyes of flies, Chinese doctoral student Wu Yiren invented the fly-eye camera. This camera can take 1,329 photos at a time, with a resolution of 4,000 lines. .
Taking inspiration from the compression-resistant properties of eggshells, architects imitated it in designing thin-shell buildings. This type of building has many advantages: less material, long span, strong and durable.
Because the colorful appearance of butterflies is not easy to be found among flowers, people invented camouflage uniforms, which reduced casualties in battles.
Dragonflies can generate local unstable airflow that is different from the surrounding atmosphere through wing vibration, and use the vortices generated by the airflow to make themselves rise. Scientists successfully developed a helicopter based on this structural basis.
Taking inspiration from the dragonfly’s wing moles, people imitated the dragonfly and added counterweights to the wings of the aircraft to solve the thorny problem of vibration caused by high-speed flight.
In addition to its applications in animals, bionics also has many applications in plants:
According to legend, Lu Ban, a craftsman from the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (450-500 BC), went up Mt. While logging, his fingers were scratched by thatch. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that there were sharp saw teeth on both sides of the thatch leaves, and he was inspired. After repeated practice, the first woodworking saw with saw teeth was made in human history.
Inspired by the supporting effect of the veins of the lotus leaves, the famous British architect Joseph used steel and glass as building materials to design an exhibition hall with a large ceiling span - the "Crystal Palace", which is both light and Majestic, economical and durable, it not only achieved the first World Expo in 1851, but also established the prototype of modern functionalist architecture.
Inspired by the ability of violet petals to distinguish the acidity and alkalinity of solutions, chemist Robert Boyle invented the "Boyle" test paper, which is the prototype of modern pH test paper.
The body structure of many organisms has gradually evolved into what we see today after hundreds of millions of years of natural selection. So there are many things worth learning from them. The scientific research of bionics shows infinite vitality, and its development and achievements will make a huge contribution to the development of the world's overall science and technology.