Nature is the best mentor! The anatomy of birds and animals are being used by engineers to develop quieter and more fuel efficient planes.
Biomimetics or biomimicry is the study and imitation of nature’s best ideas to help solve human challenges. A growing number of aeronautical innovations are inspired by an array of natural structures and tested patterns of the natural world. In this edition of GV, we are pleased to share the latest developments in Biomimetics.
Historical background
The idea of copying birds goes back to the beginnings of aviation with Leonardo da Vinci. More recently, Otto Lilienthal - a 19th century pioneer with his brother Gustav - was an obsessive watcher of storks in their home town in Northern Germany. They used their observations of stork wings to help build a glider.
The father of British aerodynamics Frederick William (FW) Lanchester, studied....
