Editing Biomimetics (section)

==== Examples ====
Researchers studied the [[termite]]'s ability to maintain virtually constant temperature and humidity in their [[termite mound]]s in Africa despite outside temperatures that vary from {{convert|1.5|to|40|C|F}}. Researchers initially scanned a termite mound and created 3-D images of the mound structure, which revealed construction that could influence human [[building design]]. The [[Eastgate Centre, Harare|Eastgate Centre]], a mid-rise office complex in [[Harare]], [[Zimbabwe]],<ref name="BI">{{Cite web|url=https://biomimicry.org/biomimicry-examples/|title=The Biomimicry Institute - Examples of nature-inspired sustainable design|website=Biomimicry Institute|access-date=2019-07-02|archive-date=2022-01-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123071717/https://biomimicry.org/biomimicry-examples/|url-status=dead}}</ref> stays cool via a passive cooling architecture that uses only 10% of the energy of a conventional building of the same size. 

[[File:Co op Building dual facade.jpg|thumb|A [[Waagner-Biro]] double-skin facade being assembled at [[One Angel Square]], [[Manchester]]. The brown outer facade can be seen being assembled to the inner white facade via struts. These struts create a walkway between both 'skins' for ventilation, solar shading and maintenance.]]

Researchers in the [[Sapienza University of Rome]] were inspired by the natural ventilation in termite mounds and designed a double façade that significantly cuts down over lit areas in a building. Scientists have imitated the porous nature of mound walls by designing a facade with double panels that was able to reduce heat gained by radiation and increase heat loss by convection in cavity between the two panels. The overall cooling load on the building's energy consumption was reduced by 15%.<ref>El Ahmar, Salma & Fioravanti, Antonio. (2015). Biomimetic-Computational Design for Double Facades in Hot Climates: A Porous Folded Façade for Office Buildings.</ref>

In 2008, mimicking the mosquito, researchers developed a 3-prong needle that significantly reduced the pain caused by needle insertion, for example when getting an injection. The methodology is improving and science is getting ever closer to the way mosquitoes feed quickly and efficiently. 

A similar inspiration was drawn from the porous walls of termite mounds to design a naturally ventilated façade with a small ventilation gap. This design of façade is able to induce air flow due to the [[Venturi effect]] and continuously circulates rising air in the ventilation slot. Significant transfer of heat between the building's external wall surface and the air flowing over it was observed.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Paar |first1=Michael Johann |last2=Petutschnigg |first2=Alexander |title=Biomimetic inspired, natural ventilated façade – A conceptual study |journal=Journal of Facade Design and Engineering |date=8 July 2017 |volume=4 |issue=3–4 |pages=131–142 |doi=10.3233/FDE-171645 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The design is coupled with [[Green wall|greening]] of the façade. Green wall facilitates additional natural cooling via evaporation, respiration and transpiration in plants. The damp plant substrate further support the cooling effect.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wong |first1=Nyuk Hien |last2=Kwang Tan |first2=Alex Yong |last3=Chen |first3=Yu |last4=Sekar |first4=Kannagi |last5=Tan |first5=Puay Yok |last6=Chan |first6=Derek |last7=Chiang |first7=Kelly |last8=Wong |first8=Ngian Chung |title=Thermal evaluation of vertical greenery systems for building walls |journal=Building and Environment |date=March 2010 |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=663–672 |doi=10.1016/j.buildenv.2009.08.005 |bibcode=2010BuEnv..45..663W }}</ref>
[[File:Sepiolite-469730.jpg|thumb|Sepiolite in solid form]]
Scientists in [[Shanghai University]] were able to replicate the complex microstructure of clay-made conduit network in the mound to mimic the excellent humidity control in mounds. They proposed a porous humidity control material (HCM) using [[sepiolite]] and [[calcium chloride]] with water vapor adsorption-desorption content at 550 grams per meter squared. Calcium chloride is a [[desiccant]] and improves the water vapor adsorption-desorption property of the Bio-HCM. The proposed bio-HCM has a regime of interfiber mesopores which acts as a mini reservoir. The flexural strength of the proposed material was estimated to be 10.3 MPa using computational simulations.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Xiaopeng |last2=Chen |first2=Zhang |last3=Yang |first3=Guang |last4=Gao |first4=Yanfeng |title=Bioinspired Ant-Nest-Like Hierarchical Porous Material Using CaCl<sub>2</sub> as Additive for Smart Indoor Humidity Control |journal=Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research |date=2 April 2019 |volume=58 |issue=17 |pages=7139–7145 |doi=10.1021/acs.iecr.8b06092 |s2cid=131825398 |url=https://figshare.com/articles/Bioinspired_Ant-Nest-Like_Hierarchical_Porous_Material_Using_CaCl_sub_2_sub_as_Additive_for_Smart_Indoor_Humidity_Control/7940336 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lan |first1=Haoran |last2=Jing |first2=Zhenzi |last3=Li |first3=Jian |last4=Miao |first4=Jiajun |last5=Chen |first5=Yuqian |title=Influence of pore dimensions of materials on humidity self-regulating performances |journal=Materials Letters |date=October 2017 |volume=204 |pages=23–26 |doi=10.1016/j.matlet.2017.05.095 |bibcode=2017MatL..204...23L }}</ref>

In structural engineering, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ([[École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne|EPFL]]) has incorporated biomimetic characteristics in an adaptive deployable "tensegrity" bridge. The bridge can carry out self-diagnosis and self-repair.<ref name="korkmaz">{{cite journal |last1=Korkmaz |first1=Sinan |last2=Bel Hadj Ali |first2=Nizar |last3=Smith |first3=Ian F.C. |title=Determining control strategies for damage tolerance of an active tensegrity structure |journal=Engineering Structures |date=June 2011 |volume=33 |issue=6 |pages=1930–1939 |doi=10.1016/j.engstruct.2011.02.031 |bibcode=2011EngSt..33.1930K |citeseerx=10.1.1.370.6243 }}</ref> The [[phyllotaxy|arrangement of leaves on a plant]] has been adapted for better solar power collection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/young-naturalist-awards/winning-essays2/2011-winning-essays/the-secret-of-the-fibonacci-sequence-in-trees|title=The Secret of the Fibonacci Sequence in Trees|date=1 May 2014|work=2011 Winning Essays|publisher=[[American Museum of Natural History]]|access-date=17 July 2014}}</ref>

Analysis of the elastic deformation happening when a pollinator lands on the sheath-like perch part of the flower ''[[Strelitzia reginae]]'' (known as [[Strelitzia|bird-of-paradise]] flower) has inspired architects and scientists from the [[University of Freiburg]] and [[University of Stuttgart]] to create hingeless shading systems that can react to their environment. These bio-inspired products are sold under the name Flectofin.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lienhard|first1=J|last2=Schleicher|first2=S|last3=Poppinga|first3=S|last4=Masselter|first4=T|last5=Milwich|first5=M|last6=Speck|first6=T|last7=Knippers|first7=J|date=2011-11-29|title=Flectofin: a hingeless flapping mechanism inspired by nature|journal=Bioinspiration & Biomimetics|volume=6|issue=4|pages=045001|doi=10.1088/1748-3182/6/4/045001|pmid=22126741|issn=1748-3182|bibcode=2011BiBi....6d5001L|s2cid=41502774}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Jürgen Bertling|title=Flectofin|date=2012-05-15|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyLR_-fW0aA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/XyLR_-fW0aA| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|access-date=2019-06-27}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Other hingeless bioinspired systems include Flectofold.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Körner|first1=A|last2=Born|first2=L|last3=Mader|first3=A|last4=Sachse|first4=R|last5=Saffarian|first5=S|last6=Westermeier|first6=A S|last7=Poppinga|first7=S|last8=Bischoff|first8=M|last9=Gresser|first9=G T|date=2017-12-12|title=Flectofold—a biomimetic compliant shading device for complex free form facades|journal=Smart Materials and Structures|volume=27|issue=1|pages=017001|doi=10.1088/1361-665x/aa9c2f|s2cid=139146312|issn=0964-1726|url=https://zenodo.org/record/3498858}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Flectofold has been inspired from the trapping system developed by the carnivorous plant ''[[Aldrovanda vesiculosa]]''.