Inventors find inspiration in evolution

Batteries to velcro, several human inventions have been inspired by nature

- CARL ZIMMER

FOR CENTURIES, ENGINEERS have turned to nature for inspiration. Leonardo da Vinci dreamed of gliding machines that would mimic birds. Today, the close study of animals and plants is leading to inventions such as soft batteries and water-walking robots.

Cassandra Donatelli, a biologist at the University of Washington, Tacoma and an author of a recent review of the burgeoning field of "bioinspiration," credits the trend to sophisticated new tools as well as a new spirit of collaboration. "It's huge," she said.“We have a biomechanics lab here where we have six or seven engineers and 10 biologists. We're all physically in the same building, together doing work."

Despite its promise, the future of bioinspiration is cloudy. The Trump administration has proposed cutting the research budget of the National Science Foundation by 55%, directing remaining funds to a few fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Bioinspiration, which has thrived on this funding, may lose out.

"That work will suffer with NSF's new priorities," said Duncan Irschick, a biologist at the University of Massachusetts. Here are some inventions, both new and historical, that have drawn inspiration from nature's creativity.

Whale flow