Biomimicry

The term biomimicry is made up of two Greek words—bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning imitation—and is a method of innovation that aims to provide sustainable solutions to humankind's problems in a variety of areas such as the production of new materials, manufacturing processes, construction, and new product development by copying or [Page 27]adapting and employing ideas from nature. The principles of biomimicry have been made popular by the influential work of Janine Benyus, an American natural scientist and author who was the first to identify this emerging area of knowledge and to propose that sustainable design and technology of the future should take its inspiration from nature. Having originally studied forestry, Benyus was fascinated to see how wildlife adapted to its habitat, managing its ...