Technology - Biomimetics : Technology imitates nature

Paris... And its symbol, the Eiffel Tower... Not only does it enchant people with its beauty it is also a true miracle of engineering. The same applies to its solidity. The tower is capable of standing up to the strongest winds and shocks. The source of the inspiration behind the Eiffel Tower is most interesting: The tower was inspired by the design of a bone in the human body. This is the powerful thigh bone which bears a major part of the bodys weight. The anatomist Hermann von Meyer, studying the human skeleton in the early 1850s, realised something rather interesting: In an upright position, the thigh bone was capable of bearing a one-ton weight. And the bone was made up of tiny interconnected struts, like a cage. In 1866, the Swiss engineer Karl Cullman realised that the structure of the bone rested on a very fine plan. These struts in the form of a cage reduced the effect of any weight or pressure placed on the bone. That is because they are arranged along the lines of force generated when standing. Cullman thought that this miracle of creation might also be used in modern architecture. And the Eiffel Tower was constructed with cage-like struts, just as in the thigh bone. A miracle of God in the human body had formed a source of inspiration for technology. BIOMIMETICS TECHNOLOGY IMITATES NATURE Information in nature is currently being used in a great many fields, from construction to the health sector.