British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Biomimetics definition

Definition: Biomimetics is the study of living organisms, so the knowledge gained can be applied to engineering or other technological developments.

Example 1: Vehicle design – bird wings – feathers reduce wind turbulence and drag – so copying feather structures has improved aircraft wing designs to help increase fuel efficiency.

Example 2: Infection control – shark skin – bacteria do not stick easily to shark skin. A coating material that imitates shark skin is used in hospital operating theatres to help control bacterial infections.