Mimicking Mother Nature
(Page 5 of 5)
March / April 2006
By Andy Isaacson
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Peacocks, bluebirds, and morpho butterflies create iridescent colors without any pigment but brown. Japanese researchers have produced a fabric called Morphotex that mimics the intricate patterns of butterfly scales to refract light, creating dozens of colors.
The boxy design of the "bionic car," top, a concept vehicle from DaimlerChrysler, is surprisingly aerodynamic. Modeled after the similarly blocky boxfish, the car's body is made of small hexagonal plates, which are equally as rigid (and safe) as conventional door paneling and weigh only two-thirds as much.
A full-body swimsuit with a surface pattern based on the dermal denticles of sharkskin helped reduce drag and deliver U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps six gold medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. U.S. bobsled, skeleton, and luge racers wore similar suits at this year's Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
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