The Genius of Nature: 8 Amazing Technological Innovations Inspired by Nature

Scientists have long been looking for ways to improve our world, whether it's in the large trillion-dollar pharmaceutical market or in the sportswear industry, helping brands like Nike create more advanced products. Some ideas were woven entirely from the imagination, but there is a surprising amount of modern life-changing inventions inspired by the natural world around us.

The amazing world of biotechnology and biobiomimes continues to grow, from home paint based on lotus leaf fabric to electronic arms stolen directly from underwater octopus. Therefore, nature not only improves the quality of life for us humans, but it also brings a profit to innovative tech entrepreneurs as well!

1. Solar cells

Inspired by: Butterfly Wings

Solar cells are a great source of renewable energy, but scientists at KIT and Caltech could have improved them even more, as after looking at the wings of the pink butterfly, they realized they could copy the structure in order to create thinner solar cells that last longer.

The experiment resulted in a product that is more efficient and easier to manufacture. Interestingly, scientists and professors have pointed out that even with all the advances we've made in energy, the conversion rates of the average butterfly wing still outperform almost anything humans have ever designed.

2. Express trains

Inspired by: Kingfisher

Express trains have been popular in Japan for decades, and although from the beginning they were mostly fast, they were not always completely silent. In fact, when these trains traveled through the tunnels they made a loud sound. The engineers struggled to fix this to no avail, until they looked at the kingfisher.

The engineers realized that if they changed the shape of the train to look like a kingfisher with a pointed face, the sound would stop. Not only does the new shape cause much less inconvenience than the original model, but it also saves about 10-15% of energy.

3. Suction cups

Inspired by: Octopus tips

You can buy almost anything on Amazon these days, including easy-to-use suction cups that can be useful as hooks. Suction cups have been around for some time, and they are relatively cheap to manufacture. And, of course, they are directly inspired by everyone's favorite eight-limbed creature: the octopus.

The octopus' limbs are covered with lollipops that help him navigate underwater, which he uses to grope, climb and pick up his dinner. Lollipops can also crush the shells of its prey, making it much easier to eat. Lollipops are extremely powerful, and it was only a matter of time before they turned into suction cups and went on the market.

4. Surgical needles

Inspired: Mosquitoes

Many companies around the world manufacture and sell surgical needles, including Amazon. Most of us have experienced the pointed end many times, but it's not always a pleasant experience. In 2011, researchers at a Japanese university created a robotic needle designed to relieve pain, inspired by a mosquito needle.

The needle is effective and much less painful than traditional subcutaneous needles, where instead the serrated edge is light enough that patients can hardly feel it when stitched. It's not completely painless, but it's certainly less intimidating for those who are afraid of needles.

5. Radar

Inspired by: Bats

Radars have been used by the military and other forces for decades, but how did they first come up with? The history of radar development is complex (and interesting), but most specialists agree that it was inspired by our winged friend: the bat.

Bats use echo positioning to find out where something is being found without actually being able to see it. Without it, nocturnal creatures won't be able to hunt, feed themselves, or even make their way around the world. By sending sound waves, the radar can simulate this and get an incredibly accurate idea of where things are.

6. Velcro

Inspired by: Prickly plants

Velcro was invented by complete coincidence as with many great innovations.

In 1941, engineer Georges de Mistral found thorny plants on his dog and himself after walking and began to look at them closely. He was fascinated by the way she clung and clung to it, and soon developed his own version.

Velcro Industries is now worth more than $277 million. The product is used in a variety of things from clothing, household items, and more, making it a staple in homes around the world. Had Mistral not made this march, Velcro might not exist today.

7. LED light bulbs (light-emitting diodes)

Inspired by: Fireflies

LEDs are everywhere now. You can get a bunch of them from Amazon for just a few dollars, but these bulbs may also be about to become even better than their current status. Last year, researchers in Pennsylvania unveiled plans to manufacture lamps containing a diode that could mimic fireflies.

Zhang Jiangchen, lead author of the study, said when speaking to Science Daily: "I noticed that not only do fireflies have such asymmetric microscopic structures on their lanterns, but it has also been reported that a species of glowing cockroaches have similar structures in their glowing lanterns." "This is where I tried to dig a little deeper into the study of the efficiency of light extraction using asymmetric structures," he adds.

8. Night vision goggles

Inspired by: Owls and Cats

Humans have drawn a lot of inspiration from nature for their inventions, and night vision goggles are inspired by animals that can see in the dark, such as owls and cats. Night vision goggles are basically image capacitors and tonics.

It works by enhancing the residual light to enhance the image. Similar to the retina in owl and cat eyes, the components of night glasses capture photons passing through their lenses, convert them into interval electrons and show what was hidden in the dark image.