From soil erosion solutions that draw inspiration from natural tide pools and a kingfisher’s eyelid, to technologies that use protection methods developed by plants, the winners of this year’s Biomimicry Global Design Challenge present some truly creative solutions inspired by nature.
The Challenge invites innovators to learn how to use biomimicry—the process of looking to nature for design inspiration—to develop solutions to reverse, mitigate, or adapt to climate change. Biomimicry draws from nature’s time-tested strategies that can be applied to a variety of challenges related to energy, water, transportation, buildings and infrastructure, food systems, health, and more. The Challenge provides an opportunity to learn biomimicry by applying it in action to pressing environmental issues, and the chance to bring solutions closer to market in the Biomimicry Launchpad, an accelerator program that culminates in a competition for the $100,000 Ray C. Anderson Foundation Ray of Hope Prize®.
”Nature’s blueprints are inspiring breakthroughs that change the way we think about innovation,” said John Lanier, executive director of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, a major funder of the Challenge. “Reversing climate change means more than solar panels and wind turbines; it means reimagining everything, and after three years of working with teams in this Challenge, we are convinced biomimicry is the future of design.”
Eight winners were selected to receive cash prizes and invitations to the 2018-19 Biomimicry Launchpad from the over 60 teams from 16 countries that submitted their biomimetic inventions.
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