Take a journey through different examples in Nature
We hope this tickles your curiosity into the world of Biomimicry

  • SELF CLEANING SURFACE

    The Lotus plant is known for its self-cleaning properties exhibited by its leaves. This ‘cleaning’ results from its ultra-hydrophobic surface wherein dirt particles slip off. 

  • ATTACH LIKE A GECKO

    The gecko has an amazing ability to climb vertical surfaces and even hang upside down. Its clinging ability and strength have inspired adhesive applications that leave no residue.

  • A COMMON VISION

    Apis Mellifera are a superorganism. Each interacting organism behaves like a complex whole. As a community, they demonstrate collective decision-making.

  • INTERCONNECT NETWORKS

    Fungi form strong resilient networks and mutual relationships. They interconnect and create partnerships that benefit living entities and are considered the ‘brains of the soil’.

  • REPEATED COMPLEXITY

    Fractal patterns are a perfect balance between chaos and order. They are formed from chaotic equations of a self-similar pattern that repeats in infinite complexity.

  • NON-TOXIC ADHESION

    The Burdock Burr plant contains thousands of tiny hooks that attach themselves efficiently to nearly any fabric or hairy surface. They inspired George de Mestral to invent Velcro in 1940’s.

  • STAY CONNECTED

    Slime-mould, a single-celled organism, finds the shortest path with minimum distances between food sources. It builds highly efficient networks without a central command.

  • HARVESTING WATER

    The Namibian fog basking beetle survives in the Desert by developing a way of harvesting water from early-morning fog using condensation and its shell surface properties.

  • KEEPING COOL

    Cacti ribs help them deal with heat. These ‘cooling’ ribs provide shade on the cactus’ surface against the scorching sun and help improve heat radiation.

  • INTERACT INTELLIGENTLY

    Pine cones depend on their environment and surroundings. They open and close their ‘humidity-sensitive’ scales for fertilization, protection, adaptation and survival.

  • KEEPING WARM

    Emperor penguin feathers provide excellent insulation in both air and water. They are part of a complex layering system that keeps heat from escaping the their tiny bodies. 

  • SELF-COOLING NEST

    These Termite mounds always maintain their temperature within one degree of 31 degrees Celsius, no matter if external temperatures vary between -5 and 42 degrees.

  • INNOVATIVE STRENGTH

    Spider’s silk is light and flexible, and on a molecular scale, is 5 times stronger than steel. Scientists have been inspired to produce this strong material in many different innovative ways.

  • DEFRACTED COLOUR

    The colour of the blue morpho butterfly is created by refraction, not pigment. Its diffractive scales have a high level of iridescence, able to produce any colour needed in printed ink.

  • GATHER WITH AIR

    These Humpback Whales have a unique bubble-net feeding style. They blow air bubbles under water to generate a 'net' which collects and traps their prey.

  • PIONEERING LEADERSHIP

    Fireweed Blossom is a pink flower that appears after a wild fire. It is a pioneering species that leads towards more biodiversity and stable ecosystems.

  • REINFORCED FIBRE OPTICS

    The deep-sea sponge is made of buddled threads of natural glass embedded like reinforced concrete. It can transmit light better than any human-made fibre optics.

  • SENSING FIRE

    The Black fire beetle lays its eggs in the charred remains of a forest fire. It has a sensor design with the ability to detect flames perhaps as far as 80 kilometres away.

  • RELEASE HEAT

    The Fennec fox avoids overheating by increasing circulation in its ‘chimney-like’ ears that are threaded with blood vessels. This allows excess heat in the bloodstream to be dissipated.

  • STOP CRACKS

    Abalone shells are made of thousands of layers of hard discs made from calcium carbonate, connected with a flexible mortar. They have an incredible resistance to crack propagation.

Photo Credits:

‘Baby Lotus Leaf after monsoon rain at Buddhist Temple’ by Alex H. Grande / ‘Madagascan Day Gecko’ by Bernard Spragg / ‘Honey Bee and Rabbitbrush’ by ZionNPS / ‘Golden fungi waterfall’ by creyesk / ‘Nature’s Fractal’ by priyaswtc / ‘burr, leaf’ by postbear ‘ / ‘Slime mold’ by Rich Holmes BLR’ / ‘Beetle SQ Onymacris unguicularis’ by James Anderson / File-Singapore Botanic Gardens Cactus Garden’ by Img by Calvin teo / ‘Math Pine Cone’ by Grizdave / Melanistic King Penguin by PeterVermont / Termite Mound’ by Rod Waddington / ‘Spider Web’ by Gregory Jorda / ‘My first blue morph’ by Jeannette yvonne / ‘Humpback Whales’ by Christopher.Michel / ‘Fireweed Blossom’ by Pavel K / ‘Euplectella aspergillum Owen, 1841’ by Photographer David Paul / ‘1942. Flatheaded fir borer. Coleoptera. Buprestidae. Melanophila drummondi Kby. Adult’ by USDA Forest Service / ‘Fennec fox’ by hehaden / ‘Abalone shell’ by Paxson Woelber