Biomimicry has created some amazing new technologies. Humpback whales influenced wind turbine design, Kingfishers influenced bullet trains, shark skin lead to the development of a swimsuit banned from competitions because it enhanced swimmers too much, and I worked on a robotic gripper developed based on the foot pads of Geckos. These are just some examples of direct biomimicry. Good design and engineering is always looking for examples somewhere else where something is great at solving a problem, and then applying that to something new. We are always inspired by nature, it's impossible not to unless you skipped every biology class and never look at animals, or humans for that matter. Nature has evolved and existed for millennia, an amount of time many engineers wish they could test their ideas for to get the best optimization from, and it's available to pull from right now. I've worked in engineering and design sides of projects, and there have been multiple times where a solution came from some natural process or structure, that we could use. Every time we use a honeycomb structure in a product or the built environment, we are using biomimicry from bee hives. Most of the time it's not quite that straight forward. It takes being able to look at nature, and break down what it's accomplishing, and seeing where that might plug into the solution you need to come up with today. For my team and I, inspiration is always important, and we find an unlimited amount of it through nature.
Biomimicry isn't just a design trend but a smart way to create solutions that are durable, functional, and deeply human. When we observe how nature works under pressure, we learn to design equipment that moves better, lasts longer, and works in sync with the user. One of our most effective design shifts came from watching how tendons distribute force through the body. We used that idea to redesign the tension system on one of our cable machines, allowing smoother transitions and less wear over time. Instead of forcing resistance in a single direction, we mimicked the multi-angle pull you'd see in natural movement. It cut down on joint strain and made the product more intuitive for users. Another example came from nature's use of structural reinforcement like how bamboo bends but doesn't snap. That inspired us to use a dual-layer composite in one of our frames that reduced material weight without giving up strength. It wasn't just more sustainable but made shipping easier and lowered long-term replacement costs. The biggest lesson? Nature never wastes energy, every system has a purpose. We try to bring that thinking into our engineering room. Instead of asking, "What can we add?" we ask, "What can we simplify?"
I've found biomimicry in engineering to be a powerful approach because nature has already solved many complex problems through millions of years of evolution. For example, when working on a ventilation system, I drew inspiration from termite mounds, which naturally regulate temperature without energy use. This led us to design a passive cooling system that significantly reduced energy costs. What excites me about biomimicry is its potential to create sustainable, efficient solutions that blend with the environment instead of working against it. It pushes engineers to think beyond traditional methods and encourages innovation grounded in real-world success. I believe the key is observing natural processes carefully and translating those principles into practical designs, rather than just copying them blindly. This mindset can lead to breakthroughs that are both elegant and eco-friendly.