M3 - Biomimetic Search

We can’t embed videos in markdown so please click the image below to listen to the awesome Janine Benyus introduce the concept of biomimicry.

Please note that this part is iterative, for inspiration we should look to Lenau 2009. This part relies on you already having completed parts 1 and 2 and having a staged development diagram with functions expressed in nouns and verbs.

3.1 Functional analysis

In this step you take the function you defined in the the last step of AP2.

• Fill in the ‘functions’ table.
• Use the functions table to fill out the functional tree, carfully seperating functions and means.
• Relate this back to stages you defined in AP2.

3.2 Specification

This step results in the requirements that need to be focus the biomimetic search and test your design.

• Apply these to the stages you identified in AP2.

3.3 Search

You can do this in a number of ways:

• Brainstorm ideas from memory or experience, where does Biology also offer that function.

3.4 Focus

reflect on the proximity to the requirements you identified in step 2 for each biomimetic concept. Select one that best satisifies the requirements and inspires you with ‘design’ ideas / neww solutions.

3.5 Design and Test

• Apply the biological inspiration to a specific growth stage in system. y
• There is no specific way to do this stage.
• Choose an approach that works for you.
• Check against requirements, does it satisfy the requirements from step 2?
• The output of this is probably a drawing, but this is also a case of waht works for you.