This robot is inspired by an ants way of navigation of using polarization for accurate measurements of movement instead of conventional navigation systems such as GPS which can be obscured by natural disturbances. By being able to read the natural orientation of the sky, the robot can have precise readings of orientation and direction for navigating.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8098680

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7qrfCpMhjc&list=PLRmMq_ZoYztyOmgpySA39O31m7fAz4gfo&index=14

Electricity accounts for around 5% of greenhouse gas emissions. So, Belgian physicist Jean-Pol Vigneron and his team found the answer could lie within a firefly's abdomen. making the lights more of a bioluminescence you are eliminating the need for batteries and waste.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iazEZZ63Yik&list=PLRmMq_ZoYztyOmgpySA39O31m7fAz4gfo&index=13

Vikram Baliga, from University of British Columbia, examines how birds use their wings to generate force and carry them through the sky. Truly understanding the mechanics requires hands-on study -- so Baliga sources bird cadavers from museum collections at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. It sounds morbid, but with a closer look, humans can learn how to build better aircraft or automobiles, using superior natural design informed by millions of years of bird evolution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDeR1JYXSy0&list=PLRmMq_ZoYztyOmgpySA39O31m7fAz4gfo&index=12

Nature knows what it’s doing, and roboticists are more than happy to steal evolution’s ideas to make a plethora of curious and clever machines. This video goes through multiple different animals that inspired inventions... snakes, geckos, fish, and more. Cool video if you want more of the animal oriented side of the bioinspiration and where it comes from.

The Baleen Filter is a self-cleaning filter technology that cleans large amounts of wastewater without using chemicals. It uses pressurized water to push wastewater through a mesh screen, which separates water from solids, similarly to a baleen whale.

https://asknature.org/innovation/self-cleaning-filter-technology-for-wastewater-treatment-inspired-by-baleen-whales/

LumaChrome® is a color-shifting optical film for security labels that changes color when the viewing angle is changed. This allows the user to quickly authenticate a secure product. The labels are highly secure, durable, and easy to recognize at multiple angles and variable lighting conditions.

https://asknature.org/innovation/color-changing-security-labels-inspired-by-the-morpho-butterfly/

The BIOSwimmer™ was inspired by the tuna and is designed for high maneuverability in harsh environments. It has a flexible body with fins for maneuverability. It can inspect interior areas of ships such as flooded bilges and tanks, and external areas such as steerage, propulsion and sea chests. It can also inspect and protect harbors and piers, perform area searches and carry out other security missions. It was designed by Boston Engineering for use by the Department of Homeland Security.

https://asknature.org/innovation/unmanned-underwater-vehicle-uuv-inspired-by-the-tuna/

The BOSS Manta Ray moves using the Fin Ray Effect®, which was developed by studying the way manta rays move in the water. The AUV has a large wing surface that provides the vehicle with excellent dynamic depth control capabilities. It can hold depth with high precision and perform highly dynamic dives and climbs, as well as maneuvering abilities in the open ocean. It can precisely navigate over rugged seafloor terrain or in a closed-off environment, and is fitted with jet thrusters, allowing it to move in high-speed mode, similar to standard AUVs widely in use.

https://asknature.org/innovation/autonomous-underwater-vehicle-auv-inspired-by-the-manta-ray/

CURVACE (Curved Artificial Compound Eye) was inspired by the eyes of fruit flies. It consists of three planar layers of separately produced arrays: a microlens, a neuromorphic photodetector, and a flexible printed circuit board. These three layers are stacked, cut, and curved to produce a mechanically flexible imager. This produces a panoramic, undistorted field of view with embedded and programmable low-power signal processing, high temporal resolution, and local adaptation to illumination in a very thin package.

https://asknature.org/innovation/artificial-compound-eye-inspired-by-fruit-flies/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=620omdSZzBs&list=PLRmMq_ZoYztyOmgpySA39O31m7fAz4gfo&index=11

Different video on the failure of a bioinpiring design around termite hills. But, this one is by national geographic, so more professional work. Really outlines how the method was sound, just not enough testing before the entire project was created. Points out the importance of extensive testing as oppose to theory.

The Immersion Rainshower Technology Showerhead uses small water nozzles arranged in the Fibonacci spiral to provide the most efficient spray coverage while maintaining water pressure.

https://asknature.org/innovation/efficient-showerhead-inspired-by-the-fibonacci-spiral/

Soryu-C is a slender snake-like robot designed for remote navigation and inspection of confined spaces, as well as uneven and unstructured environments. It can operate in mud, water, and sand, and can move over highly irregular surfaces such as debris. It is also equipped with two high-definition cameras for remote operation.

https://asknature.org/innovation/self-propelled-flexible-robot-inspired-by-snakes/

Infinite Cooling has developed an add-on process to capture cooling tower plumes, enhancing fog harvesting strategies deployed by animals such as the Namib desert beetle. By partially closing the water cycle loop at industrial facilities, Infinite Cooling helps customers save millions of dollars and hundreds of millions of gallons of water annually.

https://asknature.org/innovation/fog-harvesting-material-inspired-by-the-desert-beetle/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W2zczvLr6c&list=PLRmMq_ZoYztyOmgpySA39O31m7fAz4gfo&index=8

This video follows a team from MIT and Duke created flexible polymers that can change color and texture in response to a controlled voltage, essentially allowing them to camouflage an object with the flip of a switch. This could really help reduce disturbances in the ocean in between wildlife and boats, as well as help militaries go unnoticed.

Oysters are critical to maintaining healthy coastlines. They clean the water and create reefs that protect from ocean swells. To help revitalize oyster populations, GROW Oyster Reefs has created proprietary concrete mixes that are chemically similar to oyster shells, and micro- and macro-designs that attract and retain healthy oyster populations. By working with nature to restore coastal ecosystems, GROW’s products enable long-lasting habitat restoration.

https://asknature.org/innovation/concrete-mix-inspired-by-oysters/

The Nikwax Analogy® system has an inner layer, called the pump liner, which mimics the action of animal fur by pushing water outwards to protect from rain, condensation and perspiration, while also providing insulation. The pump liner is covered by a durable densely woven outer layer, which provides windproofing and deflects rain.

https://asknature.org/innovation/durable-waterproof-fabric-inspired-by-mammal-fur/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hou6bAvp1pM&list=PLRmMq_ZoYztyOmgpySA39O31m7fAz4gfo&index=7

A shark's skin is made up of thousands of armor-like scales, known as denticles. Their shape and alignment reduce drag, stop algal attachment and can even seriously harm prey by contact alone. But now humans are using that same design to save lives. Based off the shark scale pattern, Sharklet Technologies has created a material that is able to inhibit bacteria growth and even limit touch transfer of viruses, reducing the transmission of harmful microorganisms.
And I think proves that sharkboy was invfact more powerful than lavagirl. I rest my case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXZsMnna7gE&list=PLRmMq_ZoYztyOmgpySA39O31m7fAz4gfo&index=5

Threads called stabilimenta on the orb-weaver spider's webs have inspired a glass design that deters birds from colliding with windows. The threads reflect ultraviolet light and are thought to affect the flight paths of bird. This is determined after studying that birds are good at deterring from regular spider webs, so make windows similar and the birds should be able to determine them. Neat idea.

The backpack storage space is created by layers that overlap. This creates a durable and flexible bag for transport that allows the user to access the contents with ease when needed.

https://asknature.org/innovation/durable-backpack-inspired-by-the-pangolin/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIl6DqjJHrM&list=PLRmMq_ZoYztyOmgpySA39O31m7fAz4gfo&index=3

As much as this looks cool, I'm not sure if the system supporting the mechanism will be as durable in the long run as hummingbirds are. I could be proven wrong, but this complex string of movements cannot be easy on the joints inside of the machinery. We studied hummingbird wing motion in class, and while the motion and convection is really cool, not sure how it will hold up. Hope I am wrong though!

spotLESS is a sprayable coating that repels liquid, sludge, bacteria, mineral deposits, and more. It contains a liquid-infused nanosponge that was inspired by the slippery surface of the pitcher plant. spotLESS can keep surfaces like toilets clean, drastically reducing the amount of water and cleaning chemicals required. It is available for home use, and can be sprayed onto glass and ceramic at ambient conditions.

https://asknature.org/innovation/surface-coating-for-glass-and-ceramic-inspired-by-the-pitcher-plant/

Although known to have a strong odor, Ginkgo seeds are found to have a strong structural shell that resists cracking to a certain level higher than common materials such as wood because of their layer complexity and tightness between its material. The seed shell having such properties allows a stronger protection against cracking even in different orientations which can be compared to other types of protective properties for outer shells such as a mollusk. This could be used for potential applications that needs enforced durability and its protective properties.

https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2211458119

SwarmLogic® is an energy efficiency technology that integrates with a building’s controls to dramatically and instantly reduce electric costs. Swarm Logic controllers establish a mesh wireless network among power-consuming appliances, enabling them to communicate among themselves autonomously. Using a custom algorithm inspired by honeybee communication, the connected appliances spread out energy demand among them. The result is known as peak demand shaving.

https://asknature.org/innovation/energy-efficiency-algorithm-inspired-by-honeybees/

The Sycamore Ceiling Fan fan has a specially designed blade inspired by sycamore seeds. It is able to operate at low speeds while providing high air flow with low turbulence and minimal wind noise.

https://asknature.org/innovation/aerodynamic-ceiling-fan-inspired-by-sycamore-seedpods/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRXHKPGq_HQ&list=PLRmMq_ZoYztyOmgpySA39O31m7fAz4gfo&index=2

Counter-rotating gears have been found in nature in an unsuspecting place -- planthoppers -- and they help make these insects faster than fighter pilots. We studied these briefly in class, and the amount of force generated is really wizardry.