Linder Benjamin, Huang Jean
Olin College, Needham, MA 02492, USA.
Biomimetics (Basel). 2025 Jun 6;10(6):376. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics10060376.
Few design methods exist that provide clearly structured, visually intuitive, and easily monitored scaffolding for navigating the considerable complexity of biomimetic processes. To this end, we present a holistic biomimicry process framework informed by design abstraction models that clarifies core skills involved and how they combine to form essential practices, such as biology-to-design and challenge-to-biology. The structure-function and conditions-conducive-to-life perspectives are facilitated, ensuring support for sustainability considerations. We pair this framework with two process tools that make biomimicry design moves explicit for learners, educators, and practitioners. We share examples of the use of these tools from an upper-level undergraduate engineering course in biomimicry. Our observations indicate that the framework and tools support process acquisition, design iteration, knowledge transfer, and sustainability integration in biomimicry education and practice by enabling common design behaviors such as variation, iteration, debugging, and reflection.
几乎没有什么设计方法能为应对仿生过程的相当复杂性提供结构清晰、视觉直观且易于监控的框架。为此，我们提出了一个由设计抽象模型构建的整体仿生过程框架，该框架阐明了所涉及的核心技能以及它们如何结合形成诸如从生物学到设计以及从挑战到生物学等基本实践。促进了结构 - 功能和有利于生命的条件视角，确保对可持续性考量的支持。我们将这个框架与两个过程工具相结合，这两个工具能让学习者、教育工作者和从业者明确仿生设计步骤。我们分享了这些工具在本科高年级仿生工程课程中的使用示例。我们的观察表明，该框架和工具通过实现诸如变化、迭代、调试和反思等常见设计行为，支持了仿生教育和实践中的过程习得、设计迭代、知识转移以及可持续性整合。
