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Biomimic y: Enginee ing Inspi ed by Na u e
Te esa Aguila -Plane , Uni e si y o Se ille, Spain
Albe o Pica do, Uni e si y o Se ille, Spain
Juan-F ancisco Fe nández-Rod íguez, Uni e si y o Se ille, Spain
Amanda Ma ín-Ma iscal, Uni e si y o Se ille, Spain
Es ela Pe al a, Uni e si y o Se ille, Spain
Abs ac : Humans a e in insically linked o an ex ensi e na u al ecosys em, which is made up o a se o li ing
o ganisms ha in e ac wi h each o he and wi h hei physical en i onmen , and de eloping p ojec s in he
ield o enginee ing ha ecognize his connec ion in a echnical way is a key s a egy o mi iga e o elimina e
po en ial en i onmen al impac s. Conside ing his concep , biomimic y is a me hodology ha uses na u e as a
sou ce o inspi a ion and knowledge o c ea e inno a i e, sus ainable solu ions ha also ensu e a egene a i e
and es o a i e impac on he en i onmen h ough he esponsible and sus ainable applica ion o echnology.
In his con ex , his wo k explo es how biomimic y, as a discipline, can be e ec i ely u ilized wi hin enginee ing
p ojec s, and analyzes he exis ing s a egies and me hodological ools ha acili a e he e ec i e and goal-
o ien ed applica ion o biomimic y in any ield o b anch o knowledge, pa icula ly e alua ing i s po en ial in
enginee ing solu ions. The esul s iden i y he main me hodologies, ools, and applica ions o biomimic y,
highligh ing i s po en ial o imp o e e iciency, sus ainabili y, and adap abili y o di e en ypes o enginee ing
p ojec s and iden i ying how poli ical s uc u es can in luence i s applica ions. In eg a ing biomimic y in o a
p ojec o e s he oppo uni y o achie e inno a i e and en i onmen ally iendly design al e na i es, as
e lec ed in hose p o ided in he con ex o applica ion in he ma ine en i onmen de eloped in his a icle,
allowing o con ibu e o ce ain Sus ainable De elopmen Goals.
Keywo ds: Biological Models, Inno a i e Design, Inno a i e Solu ions, Sus ainabili y, Biomime ics,
Sus ainable Tools
In oduc ion
The sus ainable app oach— ha is, one ha seeks o p ese e na u al esou ces and he
en i onmen in he long e m—is d i en by he ongoing need o minimize he nega i e impac o
human ac i i ies on he global ecosys em. Issues such as clima e change, acidi ica ion, and
biodi e si y loss a e p oblems caused p ima ily by unsus ainable indus ial p ac ices. O e ime,
hese p oblems ha e become mo e equen and se e e, endange ing he su i al o a ious
species and he quali y o li e o u u e gene a ions. Consequen ly, a new agenda has been
de eloped, comp ising se en een goals aimed a enabling a mo e sus ainable u u e, known as
he Sus ainable De elopmen Goals (SDGs) (Uni ed Na ions, n.d.). To achie e hese goals, he
biomime ic pe spec i e o e s a p omising oppo uni y (Blok and G emmen 2016). Biomimic y
has he po en ial o con ibu e o se e al SDGs, pa icula ly hose ocused on sus ainable ci ies
(SDG 11), esponsible consump ion and p oduc ion (SDG 12), clima e ac ion (SDG 13), and li e
below wa e and on land (SDG 14 and 15). Howe e , biomimic y alone can add ess all SDGs.
Ins ead, i is sugges ed as a complemen a y app oach ha can p o ide sus ainable p ac ices and
inno a ions aligned wi h speci ic goals. This app oach iews na u e as a eache and sou ce o
inspi a ion, elying solely on he obse a ion and imi a ion o biological s a egies. This
me hodology is po en ially applicable in any ield o sec o and can e ec i ely minimize nega i e
impac s (Cogne e al. 2017; Eid and Al-Abdallah 2024). Na u e is cha ac e ized by i s high
adap abili y o any e en o occu ence. Al hough ce ain na u al e en s ha e pe manen e ec s,
na u e has mechanisms o adap , egene a e, and e ol e in he ace o hese changes so ha li e
con inues unde new condi ions. Fo example, a e an e up ion, he soil can become e ile,
hanks o olcanic ash, and some species can h i e in new condi ions. I can encou age a shi
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owa d a ci cula and egene a i e economy ha minimizes was e and p io i izes he es o a ion
and espec o na u al and biological cycles. F om an enginee ing pe spec i e, echnology can
posi i ely impac na u al ecosys ems when guided by es ablished amewo ks such as c adle o
c adle, indus ial ecology, o ci cula economy p inciples (G aedel 1996). These app oaches
emphasize designing p ocesses and p oduc s ha egene a e esou ces, educe was e, and c ea e
closed-loop sys ems. Tools like li e cycle assessmen (LCA) u he allow us o e alua e and
enhance he ecological bene i s o hese designs. Biomimic y, in eg a ed wi h hese me hods,
p o ides na u e-inspi ed s a egies ha embed sus ainabili y and egene a ion in o enginee ing
solu ions, ac i ely con ibu ing o ecosys em heal h (G aedel 1996).
In he pu sui o sus ainable solu ions, s udying biological s a egies can signi ican ly lead o
ze o en i onmen al impac , while also os e ing c ea i e hinking and mos inno a i e solu ions.
Pa ame e s o concep s closely ela ed o p ojec managemen o enginee ing, such as e iciency,
adap abili y, and esilience, can be p omo ed by his biomimic y app oach. The biomime ic
pe spec i e has been employed in a ious ields h oughou his o y. Fo example, in li e a u e,
he legend o Daedalus and Ica us desc ibes how hey obse ed he ligh o bi ds and ound a
solu ion by emula ing hei beha io o escape hei isola ed and apped si ua ion (O id 2004).
Emula ing he ligh o bi ds has been a ecu ing sou ce o inspi a ion, no ably wi h Leona do da
Vinci’s lying machine om he Renaissance e a (Taylo 2009). Howe e , no all in en ions we e
de eloped wi h he in en ion o emula ing a na u e-inspi ed solu ion. Fo ins ance, Velc o was
in en ed in he wen ie h cen u y by i s c ea o who, while walking his dog, obse ed ha ce ain
plan s adhe ed o his dog’s u and his clo hes (Benyus 2002).
I is con enien o make a dis inc ion be ween he e ms “biomimic y,” “biomime ics,” and
“biodesign.” Biomime ics is cen e ed a ound imi a ing biological p ocesses o c ea e inno a i e
solu ions inspi ed by biological phenomena, while “biomimic y” emphasizes using insigh s om
biology o c ea e sus ainable me hods and p ac ices, and “biodesign” e e s o a design app oach
ha d aws inspi a ion om he p inciples and p ocesses o na u e o c ea e p oduc s, sys ems, o
solu ions ha a e sus ainable, e icien , and en i onmen ally iendly (Za i 2007).
Biomimic y p esen s a se ies o ba ie s and di icul ies, such as he necessa y p io
biological knowledge and he me hodologies o biological s a egies o be simula ed. In addi ion,
an in e disciplina y eam is necessa y o ob ain ele an solu ions. This is because biomimic y
can be applied in a ious sec o s wi h hei own se o p inciples and echnical needs, and
unde s anding he app op ia e biological s a egies equi es speci ic knowledge in he ield o
achie e sus ainable and e icien na u e-based solu ions.
Fo an ini ial in oduc ion, he applica ion me hodology o he Biomimic y Design Spi al (de ine,
biologize, disco e , abs ac , emula e, e alua e) (Biomimic y Ins i u e 2023), along wi h he
Biomimic y Taxonomy ool (Biomimic y Ins i u e 2008) and he AskNa u e esou ce
(Biomimic y Ins i u e 2023), may p o e in e es ing as hey o e a s uc u ed amewo k and an
ex ensi e da abase o biological s a egies, espec i ely. In ela ion o p ojec managemen
ocused on p oduc design and i s s ages, a pa allel can be d awn wi h he p ac ical and
p o essional managemen o design, as shown in Figu e 1.
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Figu e 1: Rela ionship Be ween he Biomime ic Design Spi al and he Design Phases o a P oduc
The oppo uni ies o e ed by a na u e-inspi ed solu ions app oach ha e led o he c ea ion o
ins i u ions such as he Biomimic y Ins i u e (Biomimic y Ins i u e 2023). This ins i u ion has
dis inguished i sel by i s commi men o p omo ing biomime ic esea ch and applica ions in
a ious ields. Among he esou ces i p o ides is he Biomimic y Taxonomy (Biomimic y
Ins i u e 2008), a ool ha o e s a unc ional and classi ied lis o biological s a egies, acili a ing
he sea ch p ocess h ough he AskNa u e da abase (Biomimic y Ins i u e 2023). This syne gy
be ween esou ces p o ides a solid and accessible ounda ion o hose who wish o explo e and
apply biomime ic p inciples in hei p ojec s o enginee ing p ac ices. Simila ly, policy s uc u es
can acili a e he applica ion o biomime ics as de eloped in la e sec ions. In addi ion, he s udy
o inno a ions applied in he ma ine en i onmen is in e es ing o jus i y he esul s o he esea ch
ca ied ou , due o he g ea biodi e si y and highly e icien na u al solu ions o e ed by his
en i onmen and he complexi y o he p ojec s de eloped in his con ex .
Me hodology
The esea ch was de eloped based on a sea ch s a egy using a se o de ined keywo ds, ca e ully
selec ed o co e a wide ange o concep s and e minology associa ed wi h biomimic y, ensu ing
he iden i ica ion o ele an esou ces ac oss a ious disciplines and ields o applica ion,
including “biomime ics,” “bioinspi a ion,” “biologically inspi ed app oach,” “bioinspi a ion
p inciples,” “biomime ic me hodologies,” “biomimic y ools,” “bioinspi ed design,” “na u e-
inspi ed solu ions,” “biodesign,” “sus ainable design inspi ed by na u e,” and “bioinspi ed
enginee ing.” To u he e ine he analysis, he sea ch was segmen ed by ype o knowledge
ela ed o biomimic y: (1) concep ual amewo ks, me hodologies, ools, case s udies, and e iew
pape s and (2) echnological applica ions (a chi ec u e, u banism, biodesign, obo ics, and
ma e ials). The ypes o knowledge analyzed in he s udy include concep ual amewo ks (e.g.,
Li e’s P inciples), me hodologies and ools (e.g., BioTRIZ, biomimic y spi al, AskNa u e), case
s udies, echnological applica ions in ields like obo ics and ma e ials science, and
in e disciplina y esea ch in eg a ing biomimic y wi h a chi ec u e, u banism, and p oduc
design. A comp ehensi e e iew o exis ing knowledge was ca ied ou , o subsequen ly highligh
and men ion he mos in e es ing ones in he enginee ing ield. Da a sou ces h ough he Google
Schola sea ch engine include a a ie y o esou ces, such as academic a icles, books, jou nals,
and e iew a icles. The ini ial sea ch yielded a o al o 592 publica ions om 1997 o 2023. A e
il e ing acco ding o he ollowing indica o s, a inal selec ion o 133 publica ions was ob ained
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and analyzed in his wo k: (1) hema ic ele ance, ocusing on publica ions di ec ly ela ed o
biomimic y and i s enginee ing applica ions; (2) adap abili y and p ac ical easibili y o he
esul s, highligh ing he po en ial o di ec implemen a ion in enginee ing and design p ojec s;
and (3) quali y o he sou ce based on he ype o indexing, a ea o indexing, and numbe o
ci a ions. The indica o s men ioned we e used as c i e ia o il e and selec publica ions. The
esul s we e s uc u ed in o ou undamen al pa s: (1) bibliome ic analysis, (2) analysis o
a ailable biomime ic ools and me hodologies in managemen and p o essional design p ac ice
and how policy s uc u es can p omo e he use o biomimic y in enginee ing, (3) applica ion o
biomimic y in a speci ic indus ial sec o ( echnology used in ma ine en i onmen s), and (4)
de ini ion o u u e amewo ks o he esea ch. This comp ehensi e and s uc u ed app oach
allows o a igo ous and comple e examina ion o he a ailable biomime ic knowledge,
p o iding a global and de ailed iew o he cu en s a e and u u e pe spec i es in his ield o
esea ch.
This a icle ep esen s a dis inc and complemen a y explo a ion o he applica ion o
biomimic y in enginee ing p ojec s, di e ging om ou p e iously published wo k (which was
ocused on he indus ial design and indus ial p oduc s sec o ) (Aguila -Plane and Pe al a 2024).
While he p io s udy ocused on p o iding a comp ehensi e analysis o biomime ic knowledge
ac oss indus ial sec o s and highligh ed p ocedu es applied o speci ic case s udies, his new
wo k del es deepe in o he echnical, me hodological, and s a egic dimensions o biomimic y
wi hin he con ex o enginee ing and p ojec managemen . In pa icula , i e alua es he e ec i e
applica ion o biomimic y as a discipline, analyzing i s me hodologies and ools wi h a ocus on
hei adap abili y and e iciency in enginee ing con ex s. Addi ionally, his s udy inco po a es a
no el pe spec i e by examining he in luence o poli ical s uc u es on he implemen a ion o
biomimic y and emphasizing i s po en ial o add ess sys emic challenges. These dis inc ions
ensu e ha his a icle con ibu es o iginal insigh s, expanding he unde s anding o biomimic y
as a ans o ma i e app oach o sus ainable and inno a i e enginee ing p ac ices.
Resul s
Bibliome ic esea ch aims o show he p opo ion o applica ions o biomimic y in each sec o
o ield o knowledge, ela ed o he co ec way o in eg a e biomime ics in a p ojec , ha is, wi h
me hodical and in o med applica ion o he p inciples o biomime ics, using me hodologies and
es ablished ools (e.g., Biomimic y DesignLens [Biomimic y 3.8, n.d.], Li e’s P inciples and
BioTRIZ [Boga y e and Boga y e a 2015; Mayda and Bo klu 2014]) o ensu e ha solu ions
a e no only inspi ed by na u e bu also adhe e o ecological, echnical, and sus ainabili y c i e ia.
The wide ange o oppo uni ies o e ed by his app oach and he exis ing gaps in i s
implemen a ion a e highligh ed. These esul s a e complemen ed by a se ies o g aphs ha p esen
he in o ma ion in an in ui i e and isual manne , making i easie o unde s and and iden i y.
Fi s ly, i is in e es ing o analyze Figu e 2, which shows he dis ibu ion o he classi ied
publica ions in a adial o m, ha is, he o ganiza ion in which i is ound in he e iewed
li e a u e. I is e iden ha publica ions ela ed o biodesign, a discipline ha seeks o in eg a e
p inciples and s a egies inspi ed by na u e wi hin he design o p oduc s, p ocesses, and sys ems,
achie e high ele ance in a ious ields o scien i ic li e a u e. This can be a ibu ed, in pa , o
he ambiguous and mul idisciplina y na u e o he concep , which allows o he g ouping o
di e se academic and p o essional ca ego ies unde i s designa ion, such as enginee ing,
a chi ec u e, applied biology, and o he ela ed a eas. This di e si y acili a es in e disciplina y
collabo a ion, p omo ing inno a i e and sus ainable solu ions. Howe e , speci ically, obo ics
and he de elopmen o new inno a i e ma e ials based on biological s a egies a e he ields ha
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sequen ially show g ea e applicabili y and ele ance acco ding o his app oach. In he case o
obo ics, i s jus i ica ion as he a ea wi h he g ea es in luence is due o i s abili y o in eg a e
bioinspi ed p inciples in o he design and unc ionali y o ad anced echnological solu ions.
Robo ics is an a ea o knowledge in which esea ch plays a undamen al ole. By imi a ing
biological p inciples, obo s can be mo e ene gy e icien , adap able o complex en i onmen s
and sus ainable. The p ima y objec i e is o achie e supe io adap abili y and op imal
pe o mance in a ious applica ions, om indus ial au oma ion o medicine, among o he s.
Bioinspi ed obo ics no only enhances he e iciency and p ecision o designed sys ems bu also
gene a es new oppo uni ies o inno a ions ha emula e na u al p ocesses, hus achie ing a
symbiosis be ween echnology and na u e, which is essen ial o sus ainable de elopmen and
scien i ic ad ancemen .
Wi h his app oach, hey can achie e inno a i e solu ions and possibly g ea e in es men in
esea ch and de elopmen . Howe e , due o he high abs ac ion o biological knowledge, which
is exp essed h ough in en ion p inciples, he e ec i e applica ion o biomime ic solu ions by
con en ional enginee ing designe s is complex. This, in u n, implies a highe ini ial in es men
in esea ch, de elopmen , and p oduc ion, which gene a es a highe cos compa ed o adi ional
solu ions (Tan e al. 2019). In his ega d, i is app op ia e o ou line how poli ical s uc u es can
p omo e i s applica ion in enginee ing. Biomimic y aises legal challenges ela ed o he access
and use o gene ic esou ces and hei de i a i es. In his con ex , egula ions such as he
Con en ion on Biological Di e si y (CBD) (Uni ed Na ions 1992) and he Nagoya P o ocol
(2010) es ablish a legal amewo k o gua an ee legal, e hical, and sus ainable access o hese
esou ces, as well as a ai dis ibu ion o he bene i s de i ed om hei use (B oeckho en and
Win e s 2023). These egula ions a e essen ial o p omo e esponsible inno a ion based on
biodi e si y. Acco ding o B oeckho en and Win e s, bo h he CBD and he NP encou age he
implemen a ion o incen i es o biodi e si y conse a ion bu sugges ha i is necessa y o
inco po a e an app oach ha no only ecognizes and alues o ganisms as sou ces o inspi a ion
o inno a ion, bu also in eg a es a pe spec i e o ac i e ecip oci y owa d na u al sys ems
(B oeckho en and Win e s 2023). Johnson and Golds ein (2016) poin ou ha he mos wo ying
aspec o biomimic y is no he p i a iza ion o biological knowledge bu a he he way in which
he knowledge and po en ial o na u e a e assimila ed as a global esou ce a ailable o
capi aliza ion.
In he ield o enginee ing, incen i es, aining, and egula o y amewo ks can be
inco po a ed o encou age biomime ic inno a ion and acili a e i s adop ion in indus ial sec o s.
Among hem is he in e na ional s anda d ISO 18458:2015, which can unc ion as a ool o
s uc u e biologically inspi ed p ojec s, ensu e a cohe en app oach and acili a e in e disciplina y
collabo a ion (In e na ional O ganiza ion o S anda diza ion [ISO] 2015). The esea ch ca ied
ou highligh s incen i es and g an s such as he EU G een Inno a ion Fund (Eu opean
Commission 2024), so ha p ojec s such as he imp o emen o ene gy e iciency based on
bioinspi ed solu ions can be de eloped wi h less di icul y, om an economic poin o iew.
Among he di icul ies ha also hinde he applica ion o his app oach a e cul u al ba ie s. In
educa ion, he e a e p ac ically no subjec s ha encou age his ype o pe spec i e. The e o e,
possible cu icula in eg a ion and p o essional aining on his subjec may be a solu ion. Fo
example, he Uni e si y o Melbou ne (n.d.) o e s ce i ica ions in biomime ics o he design o
p oduc s and echnological solu ions. Inno a ion cen e s and collabo a ions such as he
Biomimic y Ins i u e (Biomimic y Ins i u e 2023) o he Cen e o Bio-Inspi ed Technology
(Impe ial, 2024) can con ibu e o imp o ing knowledge and applica ion o his pe spec i e.
Howe e , he ac o s ha can mos ly lead o u he de elopmen o biomimic y a e poli ical goals
and objec i es, as hey se he amewo k o ac ion ha mo i a es go e nmen s, companies,
o ganiza ions, and indi iduals o adop one ype o app oach o ano he . In his ega d, he 2030

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Agenda o Sus ainable De elopmen (Uni ed Na ions, n.d.) can p omo e he use o biomimic y
in key sec o s such as cons uc ion and manu ac u ing wi h SDG 12 on esponsible p oduc ion
and consump ion.
To jus i y how go e nmen s can suppo p ojec s ha inco po a e biomimic y and sus ainable
p ac ices, i was decided o p esen a eal example, such as he case o he Ga dens by he Bay in
Singapo e. This in eg a es a chi ec u e and u ban design based on biomimic y p inciples. The
“supe ees” a e inspi ed by he p ocesses o cap u ing and s o ing sola ene gy. The p ojec eam
s a es ha “syne gis ic collabo a ion be ween s a , consul an s, local con ac o s and go e nmen
agencies acili a ed he con e sion o he d eam o c ea ing a ga den o he people in o eali y”
(No ak 2021).
The main challenge was he scale and inno a ion o Ga dens by he Bay, which in eg a ed
disciplines such as a chi ec u e, s uc u al and en i onmen al enginee ing. The o iginal, ba en
and in as uc u e- ee land equi ed p elimina y wo ks. I was unp eceden ed and ahead o i s
ime, going beyond ho icul u e and landscape a chi ec u e o encompass a mul i ude o
disciplines (No ak 2021). The complexi y o applica ion in his p ojec is mani es ed in he
di e si y o species ha make up a complex ne wo k o ecological ela ionships and he use o
echnologies ocused on c ea ing e icien and en i onmen ally sus ainable ga dens.
Despi e he di icul ies encoun e ed along he way, he ga dens ha e managed o es ablish
hemsel es as one o he mos iconic and inno a i e ini ia i es globally, appea ing in he BBC
documen a y se ies Plane Ea h II, becoming in e na ionally ecognized symbols o Singapo e
and ecei ing nume ous awa ds such as he 2012 Building o he Yea , he 2013 Design o he
Yea , and he 2019 Wo ld U ban Pa ks Legacy Awa d, among o he s (No ak 2021).
Figu e 2: The O ganiza ion Found in he Re iewed Li e a u e
In e e ence o he a ailable me hodologies and ools, signi ican de elopmen s ha e been
made in applica ion me hodologies, allowing o mo e e ec i e and p ecise implemen a ion in
mul iple con ex s and disciplines. Howe e , ega ding he ools, he e a e s ill some gaps in hei
s anda diza ion, which can limi hei e ec i eness and uni o mi y in di e en applica ions.
Despi e his, BioTRIZ (Boga y e and Boga y e a 2015) is highligh ed as an op ion o
conside able in e es , especially in he ield o enginee ing, as i o e s an inno a i e and
p omising app oach o p oblem-sol ing and p ocess op imiza ion (Al shulle e al. 1999). This
me hod is p omising because i is based on he p inciples o biomimic y ( he imi a ion o na u e’s
solu ions), which allows o he gene a ion o mo e sus ainable, e icien solu ions ha a e
adap ed o eal ope a ing condi ions. BioTRIZ o e s ools o iden i y and o e come echnological
con adic ions, hus p omo ing inno a ion wi hou comp omising esou ces o he en i onmen .
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Howe e , as depic ed in Figu e 2, BioTRIZ shows a limi ed numbe o esul s. This appa en
limi a ion does no e lec a lack o e ec i eness o ele ance bu a he ha his concep is
disagg ega ed om he main se o ools, which a ec s i s ep esen a ion in he g aph. This
sugges s ha , al hough BioTRIZ is highly alued o i s po en ial and applicabili y, i s ill needs
o be mo e ully in eg a ed in o he gene al amewo k o biologically inspi ed ools o maximize
i s impac and accessibili y in enginee ing p ac ice and o he ela ed ields.
The esul s ob ained e lec , om a gene al pe spec i e, ha he o al pe cen age alues
ela ed o publica ions dedica ed o he applica ion o biomimic y co espond o 70% o
me hodologies and 30% o ools. These pe cen age alues a e g aphically shown in Figu e 3
(le ). Howe e , wi hin he published me hodologies, 19% o he o al is dedica ed o TRIZ, as
can be seen in Figu e 3 (le ).
On he o he hand, he esul s ob ained, classi ied by he a ea o applica ion (Figu e 3, igh ),
show a signi ican amoun o knowledge ela ed o “biodesign,” wi h a ca ego ical pe cen age
esul o 54%. This inding sugges s ha biodesign occupies a p ominen posi ion in esea ch and
p ac ical applica ion, being a p io i y a ea o in e es in he sea ch o sus ainable and inno a i e
solu ions. Addi ionally, o he a eas o applica ion such as obo ics, a chi ec u e, ma e ials, and
u ban planning ha e alues o 21%, 11%, 10%, and 4%, espec i ely. These da a indica e a
di e si y o ields ha a e also being explo ed and de eloped in he con ex o biomimic y and
he applica ion o na u e-inspi ed p inciples (Ahamed e al. 2022; He manus and Campbell 2017;
Clegg e al. 2019; T udeau 2013; P ei e e al. 2007).
Likewise, as shown in Figu e 4, all he esul s ob ained can be obse ed h ough a ba cha ,
acco ding o hei na u e. This cha p o ides a clea and concise isual ep esen a ion o he
dis ibu ion o knowledge in hese speci ic a eas, once again highligh ing he impo ance and
applicabili y o biodesign as he dominan app oach in biomime ic esea ch.
The e is a ce ain end owa d publica ions ela ed o he ield o biodesign in he ea ly
wen y- i s cen u y, indica ing an ea ly and g owing in e es in his esea ch a ea. I is no un il
he mid-2000s ha mo e ele an knowledge on ools and me hodologies wi hin his subjec
begins o eme ge, sugges ing a p og essi e ad ancemen in he unde s anding and applica ion o
biomime ic p inciples (emula e na u e, econnec , and e hos. F om he 2010s onwa d, mo e
consolida ed publica ions on a chi ec u e, u ban planning, and obo ics appea , indica ing an
expansion and di e si ica ion o he ield o s udy in o in e disciplina y a eas. The de elopmen
o case s udies o e ime, such as he design o s adiums wi hou any obs uc ion o columns
based on bi d nes s o he design o bee le-based g eenhouses o comba clima e change in an a id
clima e (O hmani e al. 2022), is no able, indica ing an inc easing in e es in biomime ic esea ch
and mo i a ing an inc ease in he numbe o e iews conduc ed o each ca ego y.
Figu e 3: Biomime ic Tools and Me hodologies (le ); Applica ion A eas ( igh )
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Figu e 4: Resul s ob ained in he esea ch
Analysis o Biomime ic Tools and Me hodologies
Biomimic y, as a ield o knowledge, has a se ies o ools and me hodologies ha acili a e i s
unde s anding and applica ion. These ools and me hodologies allow o he iden i ica ion o
possible pa e ns, p inciples, and biological s a egies ha can be applied o design and de elop
inno a i e and sus ainable solu ions capable o add essing a wide ange o echnological, social,
and en i onmen al challenges.
In he ea ly phases o he p ojec , c ea i e hinking can be s imula ed and guided using he
Biomimic y Design Spi al, which is p esen ed as he mos accessible and easy- o-apply
me hodology, in conjunc ion wi h he Biomimic y Taxonomy (Biomimic y Ins i u e 2008).
Simila ly, in he ield o enginee ing, he BioTRIZ ool (Boga y e and Boga y e a 2015; Mayda
and Bo klu 2014) may be o in e es ing applicabili y. BioTRIZ is a a ian o TRIZ, a
me hodology o p oblem-sol ing in enginee ing. Howe e , unlike con en ional TRIZ, BioTRIZ
inco po a es a bioinspi ed app oach, making i pa icula ly sui able o gene a ing inno a i e
solu ions inspi ed by he p inciples and p ocesses inhe en in na u e. This ool, based on a
con adic ion ma ix, p o ides a sys ema ic s uc u e o iden i y and sol e p oblems e icien ly,
le e aging he ichness o biological knowledge o maximize an op imal design ou come.
Conduc ing a de ailed s udy o he me hodological app oach based on he Biomime ic Design
Spi al e eals ha he success o i s applica ion elies on ully de ining he design challenge,
aking in o accoun i s speci ic con ex o he use o he echnological solu ion. Once he challenge
is iden i ied, he s age o “biologizing” begins, which in ol es conside ing how na u e pe o ms
he desi ed unc ion and subsequen ly disco e ing he mos sui able biological models. I is
essen ial o ask he o ical ques ions ha explo e how na u e sol es p oblems simila o he one
being add essed. Fo example, i a il a ion sys em designed o wo k in a ma ine en i onmen is
desi ed, a ele an ques ion migh be: How does na u e dis ibu e esou ces? Subsequen ly, wi h
he help o he Biomimic y Taxonomy om he Biomimic y Ins i u e, one can access a
classi ica ion o a ailable biological s a egies ha can se e as a basis o sou ce o inspi a ion
o he solu ion, depending on he equi ed unc ion. In he “disco e ” phase, he AskNa u e
esou ce (Biomimic y Ins i u e 2023) can be used, o e ing an ex ensi e, il e able da abase o
biological s a egies acco ding o he selec ed unc ion ype, always conside ing he con ex in
which he solu ion will be de eloped. Addi ionally, i is especially impo an o adop a sys emic
ision ha analyzes he possible in e ac ions, ela ionships, and bounda ies o he sys em— o
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example, he ilamen s inco po a ed by he baleen whale in i s mou h ha ac as a il e du ing
ood in ake (Ho Ma y 2021); he basking sha k wi h deep g oo es a anged be ween each gill
a ch ha allow pa o he luid o swi l in ha a ea, p e en ing possible obs uc ions (AskNa u e
Team 2017); o he gian man a ay ha has a g ouping o lobes, o mally simila o a lea , whe e
pa icles bounce away om he il e h ough he complex low o cu en gene a ed (Rale ski
2020). In he “emula ion” phase, he pa e ns and ela ionships o he selec ed s a egies a e
analyzed; a mind map can be p ac ical in his case. Las ly, in he “e alua ion” phase, he design’s
sui abili y, easibili y, and associa ed business model a e conside ed, wi h he checklis p o ided
by he Biomimic y Ins i u e (Biomimic y Ins i u e 2017) se ing as a use ul guide in his ega d.
On he o he hand, i has been decided o de elop he BioTRIZ ool in g ea e dep h due o
i s special use ulness in os e ing indi idual and collec i e c ea i i y and e ec i ely sol ing
complex challenges in he ield o enginee ing (Boga y e and Boga y e a 2015). The
undamen al p inciples i is based on include he use o biological analogies and he esolu ion o
con adic ions. In his way, i is possible o iden i y he s a egies a ailable in na u e ha bes
adap o op imally add ess he exis ing p oblem. Howe e , all o his equi es a cen al elemen
ha allows o il e ing possible solu ion al e na i es h ough he esolu ion o con adic ions. I s
main objec i e is o ensu e ha he imp o emen o one elemen o he o e all sys em does no
lead o he deg ada ion o ano he pa . In o he wo ds, he goal is o gene a e inno a i e solu ions
ha a oid undesi able comp omises by iden i ying and o e coming inhe en con adic ions
(Vincen e al. 2006). Thus, e ec i e and sus ainable al e na i es a e achie ed, en iching he
adi ional TRIZ me hodology, which is solely based on he analysis o pa en s and echnological
inno a ions, and addi ionally ensu ing he applica ion o a p edominan ly holis ic app oach o he
solu ion wi h his new pe spec i e.
The s uc u e o he BioTRIZ ma ix includes a se ies o biological pa ame e s ha adap o
na u e and a e di ec ly ela ed o aspec s such as ene gy e iciency, esis ance, and esou ce use,
among o he s. These pa ame e s a e associa ed wi h he ollowing undamen al ields (Vincen e
al. 2006):
 Subs ance: mass o mo ing objec , mass o s a iona y objec , de ici o subs ance, and
s eng h.
 Space: leng h o mo ing objec , leng h o s a iona y objec , a ea o mo ing objec , a ea
o s a iona y objec , olume o mo ing objec , olume o s a iona y objec , and shape.
 Time: speed, ac ion o mo ing objec , ac ion du a ion o s a iona y objec , de ici o
ime, and p oduc i i y.
 Field o ene gy: o ce, s ess o p essu e, empe a u e, illumina ion, use o ene gy by
mo ing objec , use o ene gy by s a iona y objec , powe , and dissipa ion o ene gy.
 S uc u e: s abili y o objec composi ion, p ecision o ac ion, ease o ac ion, and
complexi y.
 In o ma ion and egula ion: de ici o in o ma ion, eliabili y, measu emen p ecision,
objec -a ec ed ha m ul ac o s, objec -gene a ed ha m ul ac o s, con enience o use,
ease o epai , adap abili y o e sa ili y, de ec ing and measu ing, and ex en o
au oma ion.
All o hem a e posi ioned in he ma ix so ha a speci ic numbe is assigned o each ela ed
cell, associa ed wi h he biological p inciple ha bes i s he solu ion al e na i e (Table 1). The
selec ion is made based on he ield o be imp o ed ( ows o he ma ix) and he pa ame e s ha
wo sen (columns o he ma ix).
To be e unde s and i s applica ion, an example is p oposed. The design challenge is o
minimize ma ine bio ouling o a loa ing objec in his en i onmen . In his case s udy, he
pa ame e o imp o e is he s uc u e, as his phenomenon causes i s de e io a ion. Once his poin
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Te esa Aguila -Plane : Resea ch Assis an , Depa men o Design Enginee ing,
Escuela Poli écnica Supe io , Uni e si y o Se ille, Se ille, Andalucía, Spain
Co esponding Au ho ’s Email: maguila [email protected]
Albe o Pica do: Adjunc P o esso , Depa men o Design Enginee ing, Escuela
Poli écnica Supe io , Uni e si y o Se ille, Se ille, Andalucía, Spain
Email: apica [email protected]
Juan-F ancisco Fe nández-Rod íguez: Assis an P o esso , Depa men o Design
Enginee ing, Escuela Poli écnica Supe io , Uni e si y o Se ille, Se ille, Andalucía,
Spain
Email: j e [email protected]
Amanda Ma ín-Ma iscal: Assis an P o esso , Depa men o Design Enginee ing,
Escuela Poli écnica Supe io , Uni e si y o Se ille, Se ille, Andalucía, Spain
Email: amma [email protected]
Es ela Pe al a: Associa e P o esso , Depa men o Design Enginee ing, Escuela
Poli écnica Supe io , Uni e si y o Se ille, Se ille, Andalucía, Spain
Email: mpe al [email protected]
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2325-1638 (Online) Volume 19, Issue 1 h ps://doi.o g/10.18848/2325-162X/CGP/ 19i01/155-175