Biomimicry - A Functional Approach

Biomimetics, Bionics, Bioinspiration, Biomimetics, and Biomimicry are terms describing the branch of science between the studies of nature’s solutions and their inspiration on engineering sciences and technologies. Bioinspiration is viewed as using almost all biological phenomena to stimulate research in non-biological sciences and technologies for modifying and improving human life and welfare. Within the last three decades, these topics are covered by a large number of publications (journals, books). These scientific topics are developed through a myriad of studies that cover different biomimetics fields ranging from structures, materials, behavior, and performances, to architecture and management. These topics undoubtedly play a major role in our attempts to establish sustainable development. Many books either present a compilation of examples or treat one specific topic. Our book provides an integrative functional approach linking biological questions and the engineering applications supported by numerous studies at various levels, from a large diversity of organisms (and their components) to diverse responses to the constraints of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This book makes a significant contribution to some of the questions related to functional studies associated with bioinspiration. 

In this book, we decided to build a consortium of editors involved in the two main disciplines that play essential roles in our holistic approach of bioinspiration and must be integrated to optimize the bioinspired solutions: biology and physics. The main objective of the volume is to summarize the field of research from a large number of key examples, and to integrate functional studies with the bio-inspired technologies. It is increasingly clear that we must develop an integrative approach—one that brings together biologists’ understanding of how and why organisms function with the guiding principles that drive progress in the engineering sciences.

Prof. Dr. Vincent Bels is a Professor Emeritus of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris, France). He belongs to the Institute of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution (UMR 7205 MNHN/CNRS/UA/EPHE) . He received his PhD degree in Zoology from the University of Liège (Belgium). V Bels worked as assistant at the Institute of Zoology of the University of Liège (Belgium) and taught in the “Haute Ecole Condorcet” (Belgium) at various levels with directing the laboratory of Applied Zoology in the CARAH (Belgium) before he was appointed as Full Professor at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in 2005. He also was invited Professor of the University of Mons (Belgium) for several years. His research focuses on the functional studies of Vertebrates by integrating morphology, physiology, biomechanics, ethology, and behavioral ecology. V. Bels has authored several books and more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Prof. Dr. Stanislav N. Gorb is a Professor and Director at the Zoological Institute of the Kiel University, Germany. He received his PhD degree in zoology and entomology at the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in Kiev (Ukraine). S. Gorb was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vienna (Austria), a research assistant at University of Jena, a group leader at the Max Planck Institutes for Developmental Biology in Tübingen and for Metals Research in Stuttgart (Germany). Gorb’s research focuses on morphology, structure, biomechanics, physiology, and evolution of surface-related functional systems in animals and plants, as well as the development of biologically inspired technological surfaces and systems. He received the Schlossmann Award in Biology and Materials Science in 1995, International Forum Design Gold Award in 2011 and Materialica "Best of" Award in 2011. In 1998, he was the BioFuture Competition winner for his works on biological attachment devices aspossible sources for biomimetics. In 2018, he received Karl-Ritter-von-Frisch Medal of German Zoological Society. Gorb is Corresponding member of Academy of the Science and Literature Mainz, Germany (since 2010) and Member of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany (since 2011). S. Gorb has authored several books, more than 500 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and five patents.

Prof. Dr. Roi Gurka is a Professor at the Department of Physics and Engineering Science in Coastal Carolina University. He received his PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Technion IIT (Israel). R Gurka was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University (US). R Gurka research focuses on fluid-structure interactions, turbulence phenomena and bio-inspired flows using flow experimental and numerical tools. R. Gurka has authored more than 80 papers in peer-reviewed journals.