Biologisk inspireret design (Biologically Inspired Design )

General course objectives

The objective is to gather insight and experience in applying the method Biologically Inspired Design (BID) - which also includes the topics biomimetics, biomimicry and bionics. BID is used to search nature for relevant analogical solutions and apply the findings actively as inspiration when developing and designing products.

Content

The course basically aims at giving the participants knowledge of how biology can be used activily in technical development. A basic understanding of Biologically Inspired Deisgn as a development method is established including possibilities and challenges in designing with inspiration in nature. The course include an introduction to BID and a 3 phase project:

1. Search: Search in biological literature and a literature study for a selected functional area,
2. Interpretation: Identification of relevant biological analogies and principles and translation into technical solution principles
3. Design: Sketching, development and validation of new solutions

Examples of functional areas could be:

• food storage (need for new conservation techniques), e.g. the spiders sedation of prey, mice food stock,...
• silent aerodynamics (need for silent windmills, ventilators,...), e.g. the silent flight of owls...
• night vision (need for orientation in the dark), e.g. insect vision, kats vision, owls hearing, sharks stereo smell sensation, bat sonar,...
• navigation (need for geographic orientation) e.g. manure beetles and polarisation, migrating birds and butterflies,...
• cleaning (need for not getting dirty), e.g. hydrophobic surfaces at lotus plants, dirt and water repellant bird feathers, ...