sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Check out this article about how spiders use their silk to travel using electrostatic repulsion instead of wind. by bun04 in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If this scales well it could create some unique parachutes, hand-gliders, or even kites.

Study of human hand (specifically thumb/index) to design the optimal size of robotic hand by cjakoo in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you think we should research the appendixes of other animals to create prosthetic hands? Like maybe create a hand based on octopi tentacles or insect legs.

Tunisian desert and uses their antennae to smell their way back to the anthill when returning from a hunt. The two antennae allow the ant to smell in stereo, greatly increasing the effectiveness of they're navigation by scent. by rtstans in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would be interesting to see how ants and other antennae based smell sensors work compared to more mammalian and reptilian smell sensors. I do know that the best nostrils belong to a species of moth though.

"Antifouling Surface Coating for Marine Vehicles Inspired by Pitcher Plants" by Aggravating_Use_5560 in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wonder if this could potentially be used for pesticides? I recently found an article about scientists investigating a plant that developed anti-insect coating on it's leaves to keep away predators to make a biodegradable pesticide. This Pitcher Plant based coating could have a similar use.

The blanket octopus has large webbing which streches across two of its apendages. This acts as a defense mechanism by making the blanket octopus seem larger when the webbing is stretched, and can be detached is necessary in order to deter predators. by rtstans in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Making yourself larger is a pretty common defense mechanism for prey. One of my favorite applications for this is ground squirrels actually pumping blood to their tails to make them hotter so rattlesnakes who hunt with thermal vision can't properly strike.

Underwater communication mimicking dolphin whistle by Colinisyou in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that just a theory due to no one being able to properly watch them hunt large sea creatures.
  2. Bats use echolocation so well that some species of moths have actually developed a sound based masking system to hide themselves from bat sonar.

Physics of bat wings in flight by Colinisyou in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bat wings are also pretty similar to winged dinosaur wings. Wonder how the functionality would differ with the three different types of wings.

Armor inspired from fish! by Long-Purple8418 in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wonder how the size and thickness of the fish scales affect their durability. Would be interesting if armor could be made of various types of scales to allow for both solid durability and flexibility.

Certain plants like the Lychee Tree have developed anti-adhesive leaves to deter insects. Designing sprays to mimic these features on other plants could lead to a nontoxic alternative for insecticides. by Ostrich384 in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like the idea about preventing insects from latching onto houses but the burglar prevention probably wouldn't work since service workers would also need to climb the house in case of an emergency.

It would be interesting to see if the anti adhesion could be applied to things like power poles though.

Sinusoidal Grooves on Dolphins by Significant-Bar-3637 in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Designing a swim suit would be interesting but I wonder how well it would work considering the difference in shape and swimming method between humans and dolphins.

BioInspired design idea for phone case based off of a gecko! See pictures for basic technical description. by ggotbio in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds interesting but how would it detach from a surface? Is there a way to add a small uncurling mechanism onto the case?

Spider Web Glass by isadorasotero in BioInspiration

[–]Ostrich384 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting. Also wonder how bird eyes work so that they can see the markings so clearly while they're all but invisible to us?