Highspeed Japanese Train Inspired By Birds #Biomimicry
Highspeed low volume Japanese train inspired by the Kingfisher Bird. via living circular
What is observed in nature: Once it has identified its prey, the Kingfisher dives into the water with very few ripples. The long and thin shape of its beak allows it to move quickly and quietly from the air into the water despite a significant change in pressure between the two environments.
The challenge: In Japan, the Shinkansen (Japanese high speed train) links the largest cities on the islands of Honshū and Kyūshū passing through a number of tunnels. When a train enters a tunnel, air compression creates shock waves which are unpleasant for both travelers, who experience unpleasant sensations in the ears, and residents who hear real thunder claps when the trains exit the tunnel.
The solution: In the 1990s, Eiji Nakatsu, chief engineer at JR West and amateur birdwatcher, was inspired by the Kingfisher’s beak to design the nose of the new Shinkansen. This innovative design prevents the formation of waves and related disturbances. It also reduces the energy consumption of trains by 15% and increases speed by 10%.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
