Bio-inspired engineering

Bio-inspired engineering is a type of engineering that uses nature as an example to design, develop, and create new products and technologies. Scientists and engineers use the shapes, structures, and processes that we find in plants, animals, and the natural environment, to find creative solutions to real-world problems. For example, aircraft designers have looked to birds for inspiration and have used that to create planes that can fly faster and be more efficient. Another example is a robot that has been designed to look and move like a fish – it uses a different kind of energy to move, just like a real fish. Scientists and engineers use nature as a guide to create new technologies that help us in our everyday lives.