By Dinali Devasagayam
Biomimicry is the field of design that is informed and inspired by the innovative and elegantly simple ways in which life functions. Velcro, for instance, is based on the hooks and loops found on the burrs of the burdock plant. Industrial design and manufacturing uses a lot of toxic products and generates a lot of waste products which is out of step with how the rest of the life on this planet. The following short film, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, provides a great overview of the basic rules we need to be incorporating into our design methods and great examples of how various institutions are already using nature’s designs to create better products. From more efficient wind turbines to sequestering carbon in our building materials, it seems to offer a much more healthy and sustainable approach to design and manufacturing.
