Find Solutions
Biomimicry research
Problem
What if you could coat a building with paint that mimics the way lotus leaves are washed every time it rains? You wouldn’t need high-pressure cleaners and strong chemicals. What if you could fasten two surfaces together without toxic adhesives but instead like the gecko lizard that is able to hang upside down from ceilings by its feet? The building pictured mimics the ventilation system that a termite mound uses.
The Gift
$50 will cover one hour of time for an IT person working to improve the search capability of the biomimicry database. Already paint has been developed that mimics the surface of the lotus leaf. And universities and companies are hard at work trying to mimic the Van der Waals forces nature has perfected for the gecko so more natural adhesives can be available. RMI is working to link solutions from biology to building design and engineering challenges. This mimicking of nature's solutions is the heart of an emerging field called biomimicry. Your gift will support research needed for the biomimicry database. This database could potentially link and lead to a huge range of possibilities for designers and scientists to come up with new ways of solving everyday problems, like creating color without hazardous pigments and removing moisture from air before cooling it.