On Biomimetic Engineering Design

We realized long ago that across the natural world it is possible to find structures, materials, and processes that are of great interest for human applications. In fact, attempts to copy nature to obtain new technologies or improve existing ones go back thousands of years, from the Chinese trying to make artificial silk to Leonardo da Vinci?s designs of flying machines inspired by the flight of birds. As our ability to explore nature increased, so has the perception that we are surrounded by natural designs that surpass most of our own and that great benefits can be achieved by mimicking nature.