PatternFox

We solve thorny design challenges with elegant solutions inspired by nature.

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Manta rays in space! A second round of funding has been granted toward the goal of a manta-inspired space craft for the aerial exploration of Venus. What will the Venusians think?
https://t.co/pJ1YZrLV51

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

How does a tail that's designed to detach for survival actually stay on most of the time? The plug-and-socket design is evolution's solution to this delicate balance of lizard life. https://t.co/QBvxcrAhXB

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

The biomimetic potential for surgical glue based on mussel adhesive comes with a challenge: long-chain proteins are to manufacture. But scientists at Northwestern have found a solution to bridge the gap between bio-inspiration and bio-application. https://t.co/TfQa0x5IXV

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Biomimetic radar, based on evolutionary fight-or-flight responses, could be the key to putting humans in the passenger seat.
https://t.co/7A4IjtvnXY

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Infinite Cooling closes the loop on cooling tower water loss; inspired by the desert beetle, their technology can be fitted to existing cooling towers to collect and reuse 100% of the evaporated water. https://t.co/YAgjjnP2do

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Inspired by the Erodium seed's ability to self-plant, researchers have designed a self-drilling seed carrier that could be used for wide-spread reforestation and agricultural restoration. https://t.co/EjUwRqTA4i

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

A sustainable food-packaging trifecta has been achieved with this novel plastic that is bioinspired, biodegradable, and antifouling. https://t.co/IVWWaHx8rW

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Inspired by the elasticity of the bristle worm, a new coating can increase the durability of machine parts and objects in the harshest mechanical and environmental conditions. Could it even save our cellphones from the ever-dreaded toilet drop? https://t.co/odj1hPGBXl

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Recognizing that foams have something in common with the vascular systems of trees, void space(!), researchers have endeavored to exploit the similarity by making synthetic vascular systems which can control the direction a liquid is travelling.
https://t.co/rSDtB6hcks

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

A molecule could replace anti-biotics medicine in favor of new bio-inspired pro-immune stimulants.
https://t.co/qIhJ9XIZWf

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Biologically inspired anti-aging strategies maintain the function of lithium-ion batteries keeping them younger for longer. https://t.co/Mz6V9oE2no

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

New bone-repairing technologies inspired by how bones actually grow! These flexible microrobots can change shape before hardening into a strong reinforcing material. https://t.co/erX9hsAHpA

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

After 64 years, one of the first bio-inspired products gets an update! Bio-degradable velcro can be attached to plants to monitor their environment, behavior, or to treat the plant with chemicals. https://t.co/M1vpnD9N0J

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

A new spider web-based design for vibrational sensors from TU Delft practically eliminates "ambient noise" from testing field. This gives scientist a new opportunity to study some of the most difficult-to-measure forces such as gravity and dark matter. https://t.co/hGE14GoEwc

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Inspired by nacre (again!) a new double-layer coating for space craft that can better tolerate the environment in low-Earth-orbit. https://t.co/j4RyAFRrGt

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Drones can now land on trees, thanks to researchers at Stanford. The inspiration for this perching robot came from the leg, ankle and foot design of the Peregrin falcon that can quickly convert landing impact energy into toe grasping force. https://t.co/DXAdaYKkAD

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

A new imagining study of butterfly wing development in the chrysalis give researchers cluse on how to create photonic crystals of their own. https://t.co/Fn7prem6aV

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Hierarchical complex compounds are common throughout nature. With this model in mind, researchers at PNNL combined synthetic protein-like molecules to nano-cluster nanocrystals for a an enlightening new 2D material which can harvest the sun.

https://t.co/tuzXJxDova

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Fresher fish inspired by a chameleon? That's right! The mechanism behind the ability of the lizard to change color can also allow us to gage seafood freshness using chameleon-inspired packaging.

https://t.co/hdhLi0yRxQ

[PatternFox @patternfox1]

Researchers at McGill University successfully created a transparent glass based on nacre (mother-of-pearl). This new glass, made of microscopic "bricks" of glass and acrylic similar to the structure of nacre, is 3-5 times stronger than traditional glass. https://t.co/5NPZ6MPX9z