Taking inspiration from nature seems very popular right now. Why is that?
Bio-inspiration is an idea that has been around a long time, but it's only recently that we've seen tangible examples applied to everyday problems and actively shared by social media. Based on the super-hydrophobic properties of lotus leaves, surfaces have been developed that can repel water – and they may one day make windshield wipers more effective or even unnecessary; tree frog toes have inspired tyre treads; and several research groups have mimicked gecko adhesion to create tapes that allows robots to climb walls. It's supercool.
What is the difference between bio-inspiration and biomimicry? Is it more than terminology?
As the name suggests, biomimicry is where you copy directly from nature. Bio-inspiration, on the other hand, is where you take an idea from nature and find a way to improve on it for your own purposes.
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