Biological and ecological classification of biomimicry from a biology push standpoint

Biomimicry Industry and Patent Trends

This study examines the current technological level and industrial/technical trends in the field of biomimicry technology, as well as recent technological and research and development trends. Patent analysis was conducted, focusing on technology that uses design elements and biological/ecological characteristics to provide solutions to technological problems. The technological scope of the analysis included the field of technologies and materials that apply to the conditions found in ecology, as well as robot machines and devices designed to mimic certain animals and ecological elements. The search for patents was conducted in Korea, the United States, Japan, and Europe from 1975 to 2021, resulting in a total of 8278 raw data cases, from which 940 valid patents were selected. The percentage of patent document and the status of both domestic and foreign applicants varied among the countries of Korea, the United States, Japan, and Europe. Based on the results of the patent analysis, it was found that biomimicry technology is in a growth phase that is expected to continue in the future and that Korea and the United States are leading the development of this technology.

Applications of Biomimicry in Architecture, Construction and Civil Engineering

Globally, the construction sector is regarded as one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, freshwater usage, resource utilization, and solid waste generation. With a constantly growing population and increased urbanization, this is only predicted to rise. Thus, achieving sustainable development in the construction sector has become an urgent necessity. The adoption of biomimicry in the construction sector is one of the most innovative concepts towards the shift into sustainable practices in construction. However, it has been noticed that the concept of biomimicry is very broad, relatively new, and abstract. Thus, after reviewing previously conducted research on the subject, a noticeable lack of knowledge on the effective implementation of the biomimicry concept was found to be present. Therefore, this research seeks to fill this knowledge gap whereby it aims to explore the development of the biomimicry concept in the field of architecture, building construction, and civil engineering with a systematic review approach of research related to biomimicry in these three fields. This aim is guided by an objective of developing a clear understanding of the application of the biomimicry concept in architecture, building construction, and civil engineering fields. The timeframe considered for this review is between 2000 and 2022. The qualitative exploratory nature of this research focuses on reviewing databases such as Science Direct, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and MDPI, as well as book chapters, editorials, and official websites to extract relevant information using an eligibility criterion of title and abstract review, inclusion of key terms, and detailed review of chosen articles. This study will improve the understanding of the biomimicry concept and how it can be applied in the built environment.

How much biology is in the product? Role and relevance of biological evolution and function for bio-inspired design

Bio-inspired design (BID) means the concept of transferring functional principles from biology to technology. The core idea driving BID-related work is that evolution has shaped functional attributes, which are termed “adaptations” in biology, to a high functional performance by relentless selective pressure. For current methods and tools, such as data bases, it is implicitly supposed that the considered biological models are adaptations and their functions already clarified. Often, however, the identification of adaptations and their functional features is a difficult task which is not yet accomplished for numerous biological structures, as happens to be the case also for various organismic features from which successful BID developments were derived. This appears to question the relevance of the much stressed importance of evolution for BID. While it is obviously possible to derive an attractive technical principle from an observed biological effect without knowing its original functionality, this kind of BID (“analog BID”) has no further ties to biology. In contrast, a BID based on an adaptation and its function (“homolog BID”) is deeply embedded in biology. It is suggested that a serious and honest clarification of the functional background of a biological structure is an essential first step in devising a BID project, to recognize possible problems and pitfalls as well as to evaluate the need for further biological analysis.

Functional Principles of Morphological and Anatomical Structures in Pinecones

In order to better understand the functions of plants, it is important to analyze the internal structure of plants with a complex structure, as well as to efficiently monitor the morphology of plants altered by their external environment. This anatomical study investigated structural characteristics of pinecones to provide detailed descriptions of morphological specifications of complex cone scales. We analyzed cross-sectional image data and internal movement patterns in the opening and closing motions of pinecones, which change according to the moisture content of its external environment. It is possible to propose a scientific system for the deformation of complex pinecone for the variable structures due to changes in relative humidity, as well as the application of technology. This study provided a functional principle for a multidisciplinary approach by exploring the morphological properties and anatomical structures of pinecones. Therefore, the results suggest a potential application for use in energy-efficient materials by incorporating hygroscopic principles into engineering technology and also providing basic data for biomimicry research.