Biomimetics, also called biomimicry, is the process of copying natural models, systems, and parts to solve difficult human challenges. The words "biomimetics" and "biomimicry" come from Ancient Greek: bios (life) and mīmēsis (imitation), meaning to copy life. A similar area of study is called bionics.
The Theory of Evolution explains how living things have changed over 3.8 billion years, as seen in the history of life on Earth. Theories suggest that species with strong abilities can develop using common materials. Surfaces of solid objects interact with other surfaces and their surroundings, which affects material properties. Biological materials are organized from the smallest molecular level to larger scales, often in layered structures with complex designs that create many useful features. Material properties depend on how surfaces are shaped, their structure, and their physical and chemical traits. Many materials, surfaces, and objects have multiple functions.
Engineers, scientists, chemists, and biologists have created various materials, structures, and devices for practical uses. Artists and architects have also used natural designs for beauty and structure. Nature has solved engineering challenges, such as self-repair, resistance to environmental damage, water-repelling surfaces, self-assembly, and capturing sunlight. The economic value of materials and surfaces inspired by nature is large, reaching hundreds of billions of dollars each year worldwide.
History
One of the earliest examples of biomimicry was the study of birds and bats to help humans learn how to fly. Although Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) never built a working "flying machine," he closely studied the bodies and flight of birds and mammals. He recorded many notes and made detailed drawings of his observations and ideas for flying machines. The Wright Brothers, who flew the first heavier-than-air aircraft in 1903, are said to have been inspired by watching pigeons fly.
In the 1950s, Otto Schmitt, an American scientist, created the term "biomimetics." During his research for his doctorate, he studied the nerves in squid to design a device that copied how nerves send signals in living things. He continued to develop tools that imitated natural systems. By 1957, he noticed a different way to think about biophysics, which he called biomimetics.
In 1960, Jack E. Steele introduced a similar term, "bionics," at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, where Otto Schmitt also worked. Steele described bionics as "the science of systems that copy functions from nature or represent natural systems or their equivalents." In 1963, Schmitt explained:
In 1969, Schmitt used the word "biomimetic" in the title of one of his papers. By 1974, the term "biomimetic" was included in Webster's Dictionary. The word "bionics" was added to the dictionary earlier, in 1960, as "a science that uses knowledge of how biological systems work to solve engineering problems." The word "bionic" later became linked to the idea of using electronic artificial body parts or enhancing human abilities with such devices. Because "bionic" came to mean something like supernatural strength, scientists in English-speaking countries mostly stopped using it.
The term "biomimicry" was first used in 1982. It became widely known after Janine Benyus, a scientist and writer, used it in her 1997 book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. In the book, she defines biomimicry as "a new science that studies natural models and uses their designs and processes to solve human problems." Benyus encourages people to look to nature as a "Model, Measure, and Mentor" and highlights sustainability as a goal of biomimicry.
A 2013 report by the Fermanian Business & Economic Institute, commissioned by the San Diego Zoo, showed the long-term benefits of biomimicry. The report found that biomimicry can help the economy and environment. These benefits are also seen in the "managemANT" approach, a term created by Johannes-Paul Fladerer and Ernst Kurzmann. This term combines "management" and "ant" to describe how ant behavior can be used in business and management strategies.
Bio-inspired technologies
Biomimetics can be used in many areas. Because living things have many different features, there are many things that can be copied. Biomimetic ideas are at different stages of development, from ones that might be used in products to early models. Murray's law, which helps find the best size for blood vessels, has been changed to create simple formulas for finding the best size of pipes or tubes in engineering systems.
Aircraft wings and flying methods are inspired by birds and bats. The design of the fast Japanese train, the Shinkansen 500 Series, was modeled after the beak of a kingfisher bird.
Robots that copy how animals move include BionicKangaroo, which jumps like a kangaroo and saves energy from one jump to use in the next. Kamigami Robots, a toy, move like cockroaches to run quickly over different surfaces. Pleobot is a robot inspired by shrimp to study how they swim and how their movement affects the environment.
Bio-Inspired Flying Robots (BFRs) copy flying animals like mammals, birds, or insects. Some BFRs have flapping wings that create lift and thrust, while others use propellers. BFRs with flapping wings use energy more efficiently, move more easily, and use less energy than those with propellers. BFRs inspired by mammals and birds share similar features, like making wings stiffer to reduce shaking and curling at the tips. BFRs inspired by mammals and insects can survive impacts, which helps them work in crowded spaces.
Mammal-inspired BFRs often copy bats, but some are based on flying squirrels. Examples include Bat Bot and DALER. These robots can fly and move on the ground. To reduce the force of landing, they can use shock absorbers on their wings or tilt upward to create more drag, slowing them down. They can also use different ways to move on the ground.
Bird-inspired BFRs copy birds like hawks, gulls, and others. Their wings can change shape to improve flight efficiency. A raptor-inspired BFR made by Savastano et al. has flexible wings and can carry up to 0.8 kg while climbing, diving, and recovering quickly. A gull-inspired BFR made by Grant et al. copies the way gulls bend their elbows and wrists to create more lift.
Insect-inspired BFRs copy beetles or dragonflies. A beetle-inspired BFR made by Phan and Park is modeled after a rhinoceros beetle and can keep flying after hitting something by bending its wings. Insect-inspired BFRs flap their wings much faster than others because of how insects fly. These robots are smaller and better for working in tight spaces.
Living things have changed over time through natural processes like mutations and selection. The idea of biomimetics is that nature has already solved many problems, and humans can learn from it. Biomimetic architecture uses natural designs to create buildings that are more sustainable. While nature is a model, few examples of biomimetic architecture aim to help the environment directly.
Buildings in the 21st century often waste energy because of poor designs and high energy use during their lives. New tools for making things, imaging, and simulations have made it easier to copy nature in architecture. This has led to new ways to solve energy problems. Biomimetic architecture is a way to design buildings that work with nature, not just look like it.
Biomimetic architecture studies natural designs and uses them to solve problems in building. It uses nature as a model, a standard for measuring success, and a teacher for finding solutions. Biomimetic architecture is different from biomorphic architecture, which uses natural shapes for decoration but may not have practical uses. Examples of biomorphic architecture include ancient designs like columns shaped like trees or plants.
Biomimetic architecture uses two main methods: bottom-up and top-down. In the bottom-up method, new ideas from biology lead to new materials or designs. In the top-down method, existing products are improved by copying nature. These methods often overlap, and teams of scientists, engineers, and architects work together on these projects.
Researchers studied how termites keep their mounds at a steady temperature and humidity, even when outside temperatures change greatly. They scanned a termite mound and made 3D images to understand its structure, which could help design better buildings.
Other technologies
Protein folding has been used to control how materials form for tiny, self-assembled structures that can perform tasks. Polar bear fur has inspired the design of heat-absorbing materials and clothing. The way light interacts with the moth's eye has been studied to reduce how much light is reflected off solar panels.
The Bombardier beetle's strong chemical spray inspired a Swedish company to create a "micro mist" spray technology, which is said to have a lower carbon impact than traditional aerosol sprays. The beetle mixes chemicals and releases its spray through a nozzle at the end of its body, which can direct the spray to confuse or harm its target.
Most viruses have an outer covering that is 20 to 300 nm in size. These coverings are very strong and can survive temperatures up to 60°C. They remain stable across a wide range of pH levels, from 2 to 10. These virus coverings can be used to make parts of tiny devices, such as nanowires, nanotubes, and quantum dots. Tubular virus particles, like the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), can act as models for creating nanofibers and nanotubes because their inner and outer layers have charged surfaces that can help start crystal growth. This method was used to create platinum and gold nanotubes using TMV as a model. Virus particles that have minerals added to them can handle different pH levels and could be used as carriers for materials. A spherical plant virus called cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) can expand when exposed to environments with pH levels above 6.5. At this pH, 60 small openings about 2 nm wide begin to allow substances to pass in and out. The way the virus's outer covering changes shape can be used in processes that help minerals form in specific ways by controlling the pH of a solution. Possible uses include using the virus's structure to create uniformly shaped and sized quantum dot semiconductor nanoparticles through pH changes. This is an alternative to a method currently used to make uniform CdSe nanoparticles. These materials could also be used for delivering medicine to specific areas of the body, as the particles release their contents when exposed to certain pH levels.
In 2025, researchers Yassir Turki and Kilzar Arian proposed the Multimimicry Regenerative Model (MRM) as a new framework based on biomimicry. The model combines six connected areas—Biomimicry, Chemomimicry, Physicomimicry, Geomimicry, Cosmomimicry, and Semiomimicry—to explain how regenerative processes work in biological, chemical, physical, geological, cosmological, and semiotic systems. The MRM aims to provide a single scientific and design approach for creating regenerative innovations.