Notes from San Diego Zoo Biomimicry Conference

San Diego Zoo Biomimicry Conference

Tom Mckeag: Lessons from an egg

· Ostrich can grow to 350lb and produce largest birth egg.

· Largest single cell.

· Elegant elemental shape.

· Chucked on a lathe will run true. Circular cross sections ellipsoidal shape.

· Egg solves contradictions.

· Egg smallest in comparison to the size of the animal that produces it.

· Protect and open.

· Keep out dangerous stuff and let in oxygen.

· Come out and rotate but not roll away.

· Structural solutions. “Nature surfs for free” Air pocket on end nearest to center of gravity.

· Nature operates on multiple levels/scales. Domed and palisade structures protect against compression. Macro and micro scales.

Jane Fulton Suri: Why biomimicry? Why now?

· To design like life is to seek harmonies

· “Nature inspired design is a logical evolution of human centered design”

· Why now? “We are at an inflection point between realizing we are approaching limitations and on the brink of exciting discoveries.”

· Human centered design not just asking what people want but observing, being curious.

· Human centered design is not enough. Not dealing with social and environmental impacts

· For people who have always felt a connection to the environment biomimicry allows people to bring this to work.

· Evolution of design ergonomics-to-cognitive and social science approach-to-anthropology and ethnography-to the next phase-biology and ecology biomimicry.

· Biomimicry helps overcome limitations. Metaphor from how fungus and trees are symbiotic to structure for U.S. green building council.

· Biomimicry extends human centered design. Relies on curiosity and openness just like human centered design.

· Emerging opportunities. Developments in life sciences at cellular, molecular and mechanical levels raise ethical questions and opportunities. Like “what would it mean to nurture living probiotics? What would a deeper relationship with bacteria that live on us look like?”

· Social media tech changing how we gather and distribute information. Similar to bottom up sensory reception in nature. Developing an ecology of ideas. –open ideo-

· Tim brown says it is a shift from Newtonian physics thinking to Darwinian evolution thinking.

· How you frame a problem effects what info people want and their design solutions. Metaphors hugely powerful. Study on the solutions when presented crime as a beast or a virus.

· At inflection point of limitations and new possibilities. Add to human centered approach how would nature…..?

· Nature is a place to look for solutions.

· Nature solutions are sustainable

· Nature fascinates, unifies and motivates

· Nature is inspiring at many levels materials and metaphors.

· Nature provides new ways of thinking.

Dr. Lyn Reeser: biomimicry and money

· By 2025 report states biomimicry could bring in 30 billion per year. Plus savings of 150 billion in less destruction and CO2 reductions.

· “biomimicry is a game changer another major revolution”

· Wood welding and bone welding.

· Biomatrica - dry storage.

· Biomimicry bridge collaboration in San Diego is very focused. This area is going to prove the concept in the next few years.

· “Not about sustainability it’s about better products and services. I can’t sell sustainability. The sustainability is a beneficial by product”

· “Don’t be afraid to put together things that don’t match at all.”

James Burke: Culture of Scarcity and the history and future of innovation

· “Descartes reductionism has led to a descent into desecration of nature” There is an understanding that we need to stop and listen to nature.

· How will we deal with abundance? Possibly panarchy, how ecosystems function. Capable of self realignment in face of shock.

David Schenone: Biomimicry at the Nike Innovation kitchen

· Asafa Powel psychology wanted to look really fast. Cheetah as his animal. Analysis of the spots to come to a pattern for his signature spike.

· Fly wire from the vein structure of plants with really large leaves. Allows a large reduction in the amounts of material in a shoe.

· Venus fly trap to a visual machine for customizing shoes in an interactive way while customers wait.

· Nike free from the human foot.

· This whole journey started with his mentor who was on the design team for the 77 firebird. The rims sold the car, shape from a pine cone.

Tom McKeag: How Biomimicry

· Observe principles, then abstract and apply

· Nature builds to shape

· Always think about: Material, Information and Energy

· “surf for free”

Geckos: advancements other than feet

· Chromatophores and melanophores

· Autonomy some can re-grow their tails. Cells undergo de-differentiation and then redifferentiation.

· The spinal cord does not reform. Cool applications for moving information through nodes. How does the tail still function?

Robert Full: UC Berkley on polypedal labs

· Entering the age of biology.

· Nature tends to be small, curved human tech large, straight.

· “as human technologies take on more natural characteristics nature has more to teach us”

· Engineers have goals nature does not

· Questions to ask: 1) is it based on a principle, rather than a blind copy or a weak metaphor. 2) Is this the best organism for inspiration? 3) Are you understanding the problem at the right scale? Organism’s way to complicate and no design plans. Simplify just enough surf robots 9 joints to 2, muscle synergies. 4) Is this design compromised some way? Understand Developmental constraints and functional constraints.

· “Natures technology the only know alternative to our own.”

· Relative leg stiffness the same for all animals.

· Boston dynamics, robots rex 6 legs.

· Multi functional materials integrated and flexible. Artificial muscles and soft robotics.

· Effective interaction with the environment. Gecko feet vanderwals. Gecko glides and steer tail.

1. Demand a deeper understanding

2. Do transformative and research and be curious

3. Be mutualistic and interdisciplinary

4. Redesign education for collaboration

5. Preserve the environment for the massive innovation source it is