The Biomimicry Institute, an organization dedicated to growing “a global community of people who are learning from, emulating, and conserving life’s genius to create a healthier, more sustainable planet”, has just launched a website AskNature.org, described as the world’s first biomimicry database. Autodesk, a company well known for its line of AutoCAD engineering software, is the main sponsor of the online resource. Here’s what Autodesk says about its involvement in the project:
Architects, designers and engineers can access and harness nature’s billions of years of evolution through this free, online public-domain library, filled with some of nature’s best strategies, organized by function and explained with illustrations and in language relevant to designers.
For instance, someone trying to solve the challenge of how to glue to surfaces in moist environments would find information about barnacles, geckos and other organisms that have solved this problem in the ecosystem in which they live.
… AskNature.org is a project of the Biomimicry Institute, founded by author Janine Benyus. The experts at the Institute describe biomimicry as a science that studies nature’s models and then imitates or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems. The site – part manifesto, part search engine, part social network – is a place where innovators and biologists can meet, exchange information and design together.
With a user base of 9 million architects, designers and engineers around the world, Autodesk sees biomimicry as a revolutionary design concept that can help influence better design decisions…
Autodesk product teams are investigating where Autodesk software can support biomimicry. One example is the Autodesk Seek web service. Launched in May, Autodesk Seek is a unique, online source for product information that enables architects, designers and engineers to search for products based on specific performance criteria. The refined search capability uses attributes to describe what the user is searching for – such as biomimetic products.
So whether you are an MD with a product idea or a biomedical engineer working on a project, head to AskNature.org and see what nature has to offer, and you might just get an evolutionary advantage for your product.
AskNature.org featured pages…
Press release: Autodesk Sponsors First Online Database to Help Designers Learn From Nature…
Image credit: MrClean1982 @ Flickr: “Wooden Wings”…
