Eyes on the Prize: Science Sees Gold in Biomimetics

“Animal eyes inspire new technology” The article is about biomimetics, or reverse-engineering nature. Scientists are looking for ways to imitate the energy-efficient, densely-packed, space-saving technologies exhibited in animal eyes to improve artificial sensors, microscopes and cameras. Observing systems in nature has inspired humans to create technological tools that allow us to better understand and imitate biology. Biomimetics, in particular, owes much of its current development to advances in materials science and creative optical system designs. New investigational tools, such as those for microscopic imaging and chemical analyses, have added to our understanding of biological optics. Biologically inspired optical science has become the emerging topic among researchers and scientists. Imitating nature is a complex endeavor, and a blind biomimetic approach is not the best methodology. Instead, molecular-level studies of the biological development of natural vision systems are key. For example, current infrared sensors can distinguish more than what human eyes can see, but they require a sophisticated cooling system to work. Somehow, insects have this same ability without the limitation of temperature control. This is but one example of how it is primarily nature’s designs that are superior to man-made equivalents. However, if we are able to decode the designs, then the combination of our creativity in materials and nature’s wisdom is [a] synergistic one with incredible potential.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10075854/