Category: Birds – Wren

Problem:

Buildings lose too much heat.

Biomimicry Idea:

Mimic a Chickadee. When chickadees are cold, they fluff up their feathers with air making them the shape of a beach ball. To make it so buildings don’t lose heat.

My idea is to make a building that has beach ball like pockets where the insulation is, to minimize  the heat loss or to keep the house cool in the summer. The pockets are attached to the wall, and when the house temperature is too hot or too cold, the beach ball will be filled with air with a pump in order to “fluff up ” the insulation like a chickadee.  The pump will be turned on by people using their exercising machines that produce power for the pump in order to turn it on and fill the beach balls with air. This will be done in addition to the insulation that is already there. The insulation will be substituted with mineral oil so it will be possible to drain the insulation (insulation will drain out bottom of pocket) and (the air will drain out the top).

 

How does nature keep chickadees warm?:

Chickadees stay warm by huddling in contained spaces together and puffing up their bodies.

Problem:

Buildings and houses get termites and other bugs inside that can damage your house and/or office. It would be better to catch the insects without using insecticides.

Biomimicry idea:

Mimic a sapsucker and drill holes in the bottom and top of the building and put a sap like substance in the holes to trap bugs. Keeping them from entering the house and/or building. 

How nature helps the sapsucker:

Nature provides trees for the sapsucker to peck holes in. The holes make the tree produce sap. The sapsucker can go back later and eat the insects that are stuck in the sap.  If the sapsucker pokes enough holes in the tree trunk or it’s limbs, it will kill the tree.

The trees on Oak Island provide life for the sapsuckers and other woodpeckers. They drill their beaks into the trees and create holes just like any other woodpecker. But the Sapsucker is different; they make small holes that make a circle around the tree trunk and they use it to trap bugs. The tree fills the holes with sap.  The sapsuckers  catch the insects on the sticky sap with their beaks  in the trees and eat them.

Research:

Sapsuckers drill holes in the trees and fill the holes to trap bugs.
Bugs can eat your food or wall of your house.  They can irritate eyes or skin or other body parts. They can bother pets. Bugs are attracted to sugary things. Flies come in from open doors or windows, yet flies die after 24 hours but they are extremely annoying. During the warm seasons, bees or other insects can get inside and sting or bite. People use insecticides to kill the insects, but that’s not good for you our your environment.  Maybe sapsuckers have a better idea that us!

 Problem:

When ground Search and Rescue try to locate a person lost in the woods, they call out and stop to listen for the lost person to call back. But the person who is lost is too weak and hard to hear.  We need a better way to hear people who are lost

Biomimicry Idea:

Create a search and rescue OWL HOOD that has asymmetric listening tubes to help locate the exact location of the lost person. Also make the hood have a heart shape on the face to gather sound waves and a beak shape and rim that directs sound.

Search and rescue Barn Owl hood:  Notice the asymmetrical placement of ear tubes which help search and rescue locate someone who is calling to be found if lost.

Hood has a heart shape to gather sound waves and a beak to direct the sound into the hood.

How nature helps a barn owl hear?

A barn owl can hear a mouse squeak from 100 ft away. They can do this because their ears are placed asymmetrically which means they receive sound at different times to help triangulate their prey. They have also adapted to have a dish shaped face to have a larger surface area so they catch more sound waves.

 

 

 

Problem:  

Drills often leave a big mess!

Biomimicry Idea:

An earthworm is helpful to us because it burrows down in the earth and gives the soil more air. This way the soil becomes loosened with more pathways for water and air to enter plant roots. This can make our plants get stronger. 

Worms can crawl both backward and forward in the soil.  Similar to a hydroelectric drill, it too can travel backward and forward through both wet and dry environments.

 

 

The drill below is inspired by  how earthworms ingest and excrete dirt and organic matter.  

It also uses the idea of how a worm has mucus on its skin to stay moist and help absorb dissolved oxygen into its body.

This drill has a separate tank with an attachable vacuum cleaner that  suctions out the saw dust, just like a worm who ingests and excretes the soil and its processed organic matter.  Worms also coat themselves in  mucus to help the dissolved oxygen pass through their skin and into their blood.  This drill will  mimic an earthworm by spraying some lubricant on the drill bit to make it easier to drill through the material.  This “mucus” lubricant will be supplied by a small side tank on the drill that releases the “mucus” with the push of a button.

Worm tunnels also help to hold soils in place and stop erosion.   Very much like this aerated pot below , it holds the soil in place but lets water and air reach the plant roots.

How does nature find a way to use earthworms?

Earthworms burrow in, out and around plants and trees. This sends fresh air and even helps rain water find its way  to the root systems of all plant life.  Earth worms are all over the world. In Australia an earth worm can grow up to 2 meters long. Here in the U.S. they only get as big as 30 center meters. They can live up to 8 years. (if they are lucky enough not to be eaten)

Source: www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Oligochaeta/www.oepos.ca.uky.edu/outreach/Awake/kySegementedworms/Earthworm

 

Problem:

Artificial building insulation doesn’t allow homes to breath while keeping temperatures regulated.

Biomimicry Idea:

Just like down feathers are used to insulate blankets and clothing, feathers can be used as a natural building material for insulating homes.  Instead of using artificial insulation, down feathers can line the roof of building in order to keep the temperature regulated and energy costs down.  Many pillows, cushions, mattresses, coats, and quilts are stuffed with these feathers. Down is nature’s way of keeping ducks and cool and well insulated.

How does nature help a goose use its down feathers to insulate?

The loose structure of down feathers traps air, which helps to insulate the bird against heat loss and contributes to the buoyancy of waterbirds.