Comments on: Innovation Inspired By Nature

By: Taylor Jeffers

Taylor Jeffers — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 03:05:46 +0000

The study of biomimicry, or the “imitation of life”, strives to solve some of the daily problems humans face, by taking inspiration from nature and the natural life that surrounds us. Through research, scientists and designers have been able to work together to create sustainable garments that have stain fighting, protection qualities and many other features to make life easier for human life. Biomimicry is a newer area of study and I find it interesting that we hadn’t started here in the first place. Nature is all around us, influencing every aspect of our lives. Forget color and silhouette trends, been there done that. I want a garment that can change colors when drinks have been spilled on them. I want garments to be created for my uncle that will camouflage and help him blend into his surroundings when he’s fighting for our country. Biomimicry has already proven to solve some of these issues I personally face and will continue to advance in the future. In high school I debated perusing a degree in fashion or science, and I’ve now learned that it’s possible to incorporate both. I’d be interested to learn more about this topic and possibly work to help further such research myself when I graduate.

By: Cameron McCrary

Cameron McCrary — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 01:53:48 +0000

Over the past week or so in one of my college courses we have been discussing what exactly it means to dress, and just recently we moved on to discus bio-mimicry and if/how it can also be considered a form of dress. What I’ve learned through research and in class discussions is that there is nothing better than looking at the world and creatures around us. Considering that animals have been on this earth as long if not longer than humans and have with stand the test of time it only makes perfect since. Going back to the first time I heard about Bio-mimicry in my college class I thought Bio-mimicry was just the make up of humans being inspired by animals, for example Gore-Tex and Fast-skins. Yes these are great examples of bio-mimicry, but just a small piece to the puzzle. After doing more thorough research I learned that it could be the make-up of energy and other forms/aspects of electricity or even the simplest forms of life such as the way nature absorbs light, all of which are components of bio-mimicry. And example of this would be outerwear that transpires like trees. Páramo’s, a outerwear company designed waterproof jackets that feature technology inspired fabric by the transpiration activity of trees. Motivated by the pore-like openings in plant foliage, collectively known as stomata, open and close to release water vapor into the air. The water loss causes the plant to access carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, causing it to cool itself when mercury levels rise. Nature is much more profound than we think and bio-mimicry goes deeper than just plants and animals. Looking further into bio-mimicry I even found that it is making a surge on the fashion runways. Bio-mimicry inspires designers to also create astonishing, abstract runway designs; a great example of this would be Diana Eng’s “Miura Ori” scarf that was designed like unfurling beech and hornbeam leaves in an origami pattern. Creating a breathable, capacious design. Link: http://www.ecouterre.com/10-eco-fashion-garments-inspired-by-nature-and-biomimicry/

By: Kristin Moran

Kristin Moran — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:05:00 +0000

After researching biomimicry (imitation of nature), I believe that technology is endless. Designers can take their creative mines and with the help from nature can create just about anything. There are so many creative people in our society and to be able to come up with so many ideas from nature is amazing. Leonardo da Vinci, designed ships and planes by looking at fish and birds. Who would have thought that burrs stuck to George de Mestral, trousers while walking in a field with his dog would lead to the invention of the hook and loop fasteners (Velcro)? I was intrigued with the dress that is made out of wine. It is called Micro’be,’ the design uses living microbes that grow as a side-product of the wine-making process and “ferment” them into designs. What is more fascinating is that University of Arkansas developed the textile sensors which are being used to monitor cardiac signs and communicate them to doctors and hospitals. The textile sensors are a great idea for patients with cardiac problems. Another amazing idea is the Intelligent Textiles for the British Army is the energy to power soldiers gear. I am excited to see what the future holds for the creations that come from biomimicry.

By: Seth A

Seth A — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 03:55:07 +0000

Flying miles in the air over the plains of Kansas, I would have glanced at the plane wing and think of it as just another heavy piece of mechanical metal. Now, after understanding the concepts of Biomimicry, the idea of a “simple” plane wing completely shifts to a more complex meaning. A birds wing being aerodynamic and capable of steady flight, allows the animal to travel far distances similar to a plane. This is Biomimicry. The textile usage of Biomimicry differs from the larger mechanical products. An individual would not attach feathers to a sweater and suddenly begin flying in mid-air. Instead, the skydiving equipment used to glide through air would make more sense. I found much interest in the textile use of animals and insects with wings. One article that I found particularly interesting was the butterfly wings and their reflective wing scales. In textiles, researchers are trying to copy the idea of these solar cell scales and turn it into dye-sensitized cells for better efficiency and to make cost cheaper. Overall, the concept of Biomimicry is quite intriguing and provides answers to many of the items we use or wear. These ideas have helped us evolve in every type of industry worldwide.

http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/biomimicry-breakthrough-butterfly-wings-could-lead-to-better-solar-panels.html