Biomimetics – Learning from millions of years of adaptation to (almost) every problem!

Animals and plants adapted during evolution to survive the challenging conditions posed by their respective lifestyles and environments (water, land, air). These adaptations represent creative solutions to fundamental problems, many of which we also face in our highly technologized world. In this presentation the speaker will show a variety of lessons that we can learn through the interdisciplinary approach of biomimetics. How do organisms solve ‘technological’ problems, and how can we use these solutions in technology?

 His current research aims to generate fundamental insight into the functioning and biomimetic potential of soft biological systems, and to use this insight for creating a new generation of soft robotic systems. The speaker will present specific lessons from studying tree frog attachments for innovative gripping technologies.

Julian Langowski
WUR