Biomimetics and Education in Europe: Challenges, Opportunities, and Variety
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Status Quo
1.2. Motivation
2. Challenges: Combining Knowledge and Competence
3. Opportunities: Facilitated Access to Biology and Technology
4. Variety: Education of Various Target Groups
5. Quo Vadis?
6. Conclusions
- Enthusiasm for technology is aroused through access via biological models.
- Enthusiasm for living nature is aroused through technical challenges and solutions.
- Up-to-date scientific research results can be presented in a timely manner in educational modules that have been newly developed and that are easy to understand and to perform.
- Students acquire personal skills: personal responsibility, perseverance and frustration tolerance in projects, and personal initiative.
- Students acquire professional competencies: interdisciplinary working and thinking, understanding of industrial production processes, understanding of innovation processes, and critical open-mindedness for new technologies.
- Students acquire social competencies: ability to work in a team, communication skills, cooperation, and responsibility.
- Awareness of biodiversity is increased.
- The discussion of “biomimetics and sustainable development” is encouraged.
- Young scientists are recruited: the variety of topics and activities in the field of biomimetics is a pathway to interdisciplinary knowledge and competence.
- Lifelong professional qualification is enhanced through the interdisciplinary approach of biomimetics.
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Ed.) Internationale Bildungsindikatoren im Ländervergleich, Ausgabe 2020; Tabellenband; Available online: https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Bildung-Forschung-Kultur/Bildungsstand/Publikationen/Downloads-Bildungsstand/bildungsindikatoren-1023017207004.pdf?__blob=publicationFile (accessed on 16 April 2021).
- Schleicher, A. PISA 2018: Insights and Interpretations; OECD Publishing: Paris, France, 2019; Available online: https://www.oecd.org/pisa/PISA%202018%20Insights%20and%20Interpretations%20FINAL%20PDF.pdf (accessed on 17 April 2021).
- Winde, M.; Schröder, J. Chancen für Nichtakademikerkinder. In Hochschulbildungs-Report 2020; Jahresbericht/Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft/McKinsey & Company, Ed.; 2020; Available online: https://www.hochschulbildungsreport2020.de/chancen-fuer-nichtakademikerkinder (accessed on 19 April 2021).
- Machin, S. Social Disadvantage and Education Experiences. In OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 32; OECD Publishing: Paris, France, 2006. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Growing up in Lockdown: Europe’s Children in the Age of COVID-19. Available online: https://eurochild.org/uploads/2020/12/2020-Eurochild-Semester-Report.pdf (accessed on 10 May 2021).
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). New Methodology Shows That 258 Million Children, Adolescents and Youth Are Out of School. UIS Fact Sheet No. 56. 2019. Available online: http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/new-methodology-shows-258-million-children-adolescents-and-youth-are-out-school.pdf (accessed on 29 July 2021).
- UNESCO. Education: From Disruption to Recovery. 2021. Available online: https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse (accessed on 29 July 2021).
- United Nations. Global Indicator Framework for the Sustainable Development Goals and Targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 2021. Available online: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/Global%20Indicator%20Framework%20after%202021%20refinement_Eng.pdf (accessed on 29 July 2021).
- Bachmann, H. (Ed.) Competence-Oriented Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Essentials; hep, der Bildungsverlag: Bern, Switzerland, 2018. [Google Scholar]
- Speck, T.; Speck, O. Process sequences in biomimetic research. In Design and Nature IV; Brebbia, C.A., Ed.; WIT Press: Southampton, UK, 2008; pp. 3–11. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Beismann, H.; Bertling, J.; Beyer, H.G.; Boblan, I.; Erb, R.; Fischer, M.; Herdy, M.; Jordan, A.; Kesel, A.; Menzel, S.; et al. Bionik: Konzeption und Strategie—Abgrenzung Zwischen Bionischen und Konventionellen Verfahren/Produkten; Biomimetics: Conception and Strategy—Differences between Biomimetics and Conventional Methods/Products; VDI 6220; Beuth: Berlin, Germany, 2012. [Google Scholar]
- International Organization for Standardization. Biomimetics—Terminology, Concepts and Methodology; ISO 18458; Beuth: Berlin, Germany, 2015. [Google Scholar]
- Barthlott, W.; Neinhuis, C. Purity of the sacred lotus, or escape from contamination in biological surfaces. Planta 1997, 202, 1–8. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gorb, E.V.; Popov, V.L.; Gorb, S.N. Natural hook-and-loop fasteners: Anatomy, mechanical properties, and attachment force of the jointed hooks of the Galium aparine fruit. In Design and Nature III; Brebbia, C.A., Sucharov, L., Pascolo, P., Eds.; WIT Press: Southampton, UK, 2002; pp. 151–160. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dean, B.; Bhushan, B. Shark-skin surfaces for fluid-drag reduction in turbulent flow: A review. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. A Math. Phys. Eng. Sci. 2010, 368, 4775–4806. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Lienhard, J.; Schleicher, S.; Poppinga, S.; Masselter, T.; Milwich, M.; Speck, T.; Knippers, J. Flectofin: A hingeless flapping mechanism inspired by nature. Bioinspir. Biomim. 2011, 6, 045001. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Rampf, M.; Speck, O.; Speck, T.; Luchsinger, R.H. Investigation of a fast mechanical self-repair mechanism for inflatable structures. Int. J. Eng. Sci. 2013, 63, 61–70. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Siddiqui, N.A.; Asrar, W.; Sulaeman, E. Literature review: Biomimetic and conventional aircraft wing tips. Int. J. Aviat. Aeronaut. Aerosp. 2017, 4, 6. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Poppinga, S.; Lienhard, J.; Schleicher, S.; Speck, O.; Knippers, J.; Speck, T.; Masselter, T. Paradiesvogelblume trifft Architektur—Bionische Innovation für gelenkfreie technische Anwendungen. Prax. Nat. Biol. 2012, 61, 31–35. [Google Scholar]
- Lotus-Effekt—Sauber wie ein Lotusblatt. Available online: https://www.bionik-online.de/bionik-experimente/lotus-effekt/ (accessed on 4 May 2021).
- Speck, O.; Speck, T.; Walker, F. Bionics or Biomimetics—Nature as Concept Generator for Technology—Workbook; Festo Didactics: Esslingen, Germany, 2013. [Google Scholar]
- Klettverschluss—Haften Wie Die Kletten. Available online: https://www.bionik-online.de/bionik-experimente/klettverschluss/ (accessed on 4 May 2021).
- Speck, O.; Boblan, I. Vom Luftballon zum künstlichen Muskel. Grundsch. Sachunterr. 2014, 62, 20–26. [Google Scholar]
- Masselter, T.; Speck, O.; Speck, T. 3D reticulated actuator inspired by plant up-righting movement through a cortical fiber network. Biomimetics 2021, 6, 33. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Bionisches Bauwerk—Der Alte Zoologie-Hörsaal in Freiburg. Available online: https://www.bionik-online.de/bionik-experimente/bionisches-bauwerk/ (accessed on 4 May 2021).
- Speck, O.; Rudolph, A.; Speck, T. Selbstreparierende Materialien. Schüler-Kompakt “Ein Kraut für alle Fälle”. Unterr. Biol. 2016, 416, 36–38. [Google Scholar]
- Schmid, A.; Speck, T.; Speck, O. Falten in Natur und Technik—Interdisziplinäre Arbeitsweise der Biomechanik und Bionik. Prax. Nat. Biol. 2009, 58, 3–44. [Google Scholar]
- Poppinga, S.; Schenk, P.; Speck, O.; Speck, T.; Bruchmann, B.; Masselter, T. Self-actuated paper and wood models: Low-cost handcrafted biomimetic compliant systems for research and teaching. Biomimetics 2021, 6, 42. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Evolutionsstrategie—Optimieren nach dem Vorbild der Natur. Available online: https://www.bionik-online.de/bionik-experimente/evolutionsstrategie/ (accessed on 4 May 2021).
- Sauer, S.; Herdy, M.; Speck, T.; Speck, O. Evolutionsstrategie: Optimieren nach dem Vorbild der Natur—Interdisziplinäre Arbeitsweise der Biomechanik und Bionik. Prax. Nat. Biol. 2010, 59, 34–41. [Google Scholar]
- Speck, O.; Harder, D.; Mattheck, C.; Kappel, R.; Tesari, I.; Speck, T. Von Pflanzen lernen für die Technik: Einfache Experimente zur Bionik und Biomechanik in Botanischen Gärten. Palmengarten 2006, 70, 91–100. [Google Scholar]
- Speck, T.; Speck, O.; Neinhuis, C.; Bargel, H. (Eds.) Bionik—Faszinierende Lösungen der Natur für die Technik der Zukunft; Lavori-Verlag: Freiburg, Germany, 2012. [Google Scholar]
- Selçuk, S.A.; Avinç, G.M. On strengthening the interest of architecture students in bio-informed solutions: A systematic approach for learning from nature. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2138. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Schleicher, S.; Kontominas, G.; Makker, T.; Tatli, I.; Yavaribajestani, Y. Studio one: A new teaching model for exploring bio-inspired design and fabrication. Biomimetics 2019, 4, 34. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Menges, A.; Knippers, J. (Eds.) Architecture Research Building ICD/ITKE, 2010–2020; Birkhäuser: Basel, Switzerland, 2020. [Google Scholar]
- ICD/ITKE-Forschungspavillons. Available online: https://www.itke.uni-stuttgart.de/de/forschung/icd-itke-forschungspavillons/ (accessed on 1 June 2021).
- Hattie, J. The applicability of Visible Learning to higher education. Scholarsh. Teach. Learn. Psychol. 2015, 1, 79. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- CORWIN Visible Learning MetaxBETA. Available online: http://www.visiblelearningmetax.com/ (accessed on 20 May 2021).
- MacKinnon, R.B.; Oomen, J.; Pedersen Zari, M. Promises and presuppositions of biomimicry. Biomimetics 2020, 5, 33. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Die Bionik-Vitrine. Available online: https://www.bionik-vitrine.de/ (accessed on 20 May 2021).
- Das Modul Hörsaal. Available online: https://www.bionik-vitrine.de/hoersaal-1.html (accessed on 20 May 2021).
- Antony, F.; Grießhammer, R.; Speck, T.; Speck, O. The cleaner, the greener? Product sustainability assessment of the biomimetic façade paint Lotusan® in comparison to the conventional façade paint Jumbosil®. Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 2100–2115. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Antony, F.; Grießhammer, R.; Speck, T.; Speck, O. Sustainability assessment of a lightweight biomimetic ceiling structure. Bioinspir. Biomim. 2014, 9, 016013. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kohsaka, R.; Fujihira, Y.; Uchiyama, Y.; Kajima, S.; Nomura, S.; Ebinger, F. Public perception and expectations of biomimetics technology: Empirical survey of museum visitors in Japan. Curator Mus. J. 2017, 60, 427–444. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Topic | OECD | EU-28 | Germany | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
Expenditure on educational institutions in 2017 as % of GDP (=Gross Domestic Product) | 4.9% | — | 4.9% | [1] Table C2.1 |
Educational participation in 2018 | 14 years | — | 15 years | [1] Table B1.1 |
Average class size for primary education in 2018 | 21.1 | — | 21.0 | [1] Table D2.3 |
Average class size for secondary education in 2018 | 23.3 | — | 23.9 | [1] Table D2.3 |
Graduates of tertiary education in 2018 in natural sciences and mathematics | 5.5% | — | 9.1% | [1] Table B5.2a |
Graduates of tertiary education in 2018 in engineering | 14.3% | — | 21.4% | [1] Table B5.2a |
25- to 64-year-olds participating in lifelong learning in 2019 | — | 11.3% | 8.2% | [1] Table A8-EU |
PISA 2018: skills in reading | 487 | 498 | [2] | |
PISA 2018: skills in mathematics | 489 | 500 | [2] | |
PISA 2018: skills in natural sciences | 489 | 503 | [2] |
Biomimetic Approach | Question | Biological Model | Functional Principle | Abstraction | Biomimetic Product/Method |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Biology push(Bottom-upapproach) | What makes self-cleaning leaves? | Plant leaves | Water repellency: water contact angle > 170° and contact area of droplet ≈ 0.6% | 1. Micro- and nano- rough surface 2. Hydrophobic surface 3. Surface tension of water | Lotus-Effect® |
Biology push (Bottom-up approach) | How do burrs stick to animal fur? | Burdock seeds together with animal fur | Reversible and random attachment:elastic hooks cling to fur or fabrics | 1. Hook tape with thick hooks 2. Loop tape with many small loops | Velcro® |
Technology pull (Top-down approach) | How to lift a mass? | Skeletal muscle | Cylinder surrounded by spirally netted fibers with variable fiber angle | Fiber angle < 54.7°: pressure-tight hose shortens when filled with compressed air | Fluidic muscle |
Biology push (Bottom-up approach) | How does a fish fin generate propulsion force? | Fish fin | Self-adaptive shape | Isosceles acute-angled triangle of two bending flexible longitudinal struts and flexibly connected cross struts | FinRay Effect |
Biology push (Bottom-up approach) | What makes bone a lightweight construction? | Internal bone structure | Bone trabeculae along the main force lines | 1:20 model, stress tests analyzed with photoelasticity | Lightweight ceiling |
Technology pull (Top-down approach) | How to quickly seal a leak in a pneumatic system? | Wound sealing in liana stems | Self-sealing cells squeeze into the rupture | Internal polyurethane foam coating with closed pores rapidly seals fissures | Self-sealing cells |
Biology push (Bottom-up approach) | How do external cracks seal in succulent leaves? | Wound sealing in succulent leaves | Hydraulically and mechanically driven leaf deformation until the wound edges meet | Polymer with shape-memory effect | Self-sealing by deformation |
Technology pull (Top-down approach) | How to create a hinge-less flapping system? | Movement of the perch of Strelitzia flowers | Torsional buckling | Finite element modeling | Flectofin® |
Technology pull (Top-down approach) | How to optimize notch shapes? | Growth processes of trees | Trees respond to notches through adaptive growth | Reinforcement of highly stressed outer areas of components until a shape without stress peaks is obtained | Tensile triangles, Computer Aided Optimization |
Technology pull (Top-down approach) | How to create lightweight structures? | Growth processes in bones | Adaptation to new loads by building up and removing bone material | Creating a lightweight design through removal of non-load-bearing areas | Soft Kill Option |
Technology pull (Top-down approach) | How to find the optimal solution without knowing the target? | Evolutionary concepts | Reproduction, mutation, recombination and selection | Population-based optimization algorithms | Evolutionary algorithms |
Pictogram | Biomimetic Product or Method | Educational Module | Brief Description | Content | Target Group | Language [Reference] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lotus-Effect® | Self-cleaning leaf surfaces | Self-cleaning function of various plant leaves | Hands-on experiments | Pupils | German [20] German, English [21] | |
Lotus-Effect® | Wettability of surfaces | Shape of water droplets | Hands-on experiments | Pupils | German [20] German, English [21] | |
Lotus-Effect® | Damage of the self-cleaning effect | Effects of damage to the surface properties and destruction of the surface tension of water | Hands-on experiments | Pupils | German [20] German, English [21] | |
Lotus-Effect® | Self-cleaning technical surfaces | Production of self-cleaning glass and paper surfaces | Hands-on experiments | Pupils | German, English [21] | |
Velcro® | Velcro target | Construction of a target with various fabrics | Building instruction, Velcro quiz | Pupils | German [22] | |
Velcro® | Application of weight | Pull-off tests in different directions of the hook-and-loop fastener | Hands-on experiments | Pupils | German, English [21] | |
Fluidic muscle | Movement quality | Comparison of the Fluidic Muscle and a double-acting cylinder | Hands-on experiments | Pupils | German, English [21] | |
Balloon muscle | Bio-inspired actuator | Lifting a weight with balloon, net and cable ties | Building instructions, hands-on experiments | Kindergarten children | German [23] | |
Meshed actuator | Plant-inspired actuator | Linear and curved mesh demonstrators | Building instructions, hands-on experiments | Pupils, students | English [24] | |
FinRay Effect | Self-adapting gripper | Comparison of shape-adjustment of various grippers | Building instruction, hands-on experiments | Pupils | German, English [21] | |
Lightweight ceiling | Bone-inspired ceiling | Construction along the main force trajectories | Photoelasticity, hands-on experiments | Pupils | German [25], English Supplementary Material S1 | |
Self-repairing materials systems | Wound repair in plants | Self-sealing cells | Hands-on experiments | Pupils | German [26] | |
Flectofin® | Strelitzia flower meets architecture | Hinge-less movement in plants and technology | Building instructions, hands-on experiments | Pupils, students | German [19] | |
Foldings | Folding in nature and technology developed in parallel | 2D- and 3D-shapes of basic patterns of folding | Templates for paper folding models | Pupils, students | German [27] | |
Plant motions | Self-actuated paper and wood models | Spatially complex plant movements | Building instructions and templates, hands-on experiments | Pupils, students | English [28] | |
Method of tensile triangles | Durable components | Construction of an optimized champagne glass | Photoelasticity, hands-on experiments | Pupils | German, English [21] | |
Evolutionary algorithms | Brachistochrone problem | Marble run with a curve of fastest descent | Online-experiment EvoBrach, building instruction, hands-on experiments | Students | German [29] | |
Evolutionary algorithm | Optimization of a milk carton | Packaging 1 liter of milk with as little material as possible | Hands-on experiments | Students | German [30] | |
Plant biomimetics on a stroll | Guided biomimetics tour in the Botanic Garden | Selection of well-known examples | Simple experiments on biomimetics and biomechanics | All groups | German [31,32] |
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. |
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Speck, O.; Speck, T. Biomimetics and Education in Europe: Challenges, Opportunities, and Variety. Biomimetics 2021, 6, 49. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics6030049
Speck O, Speck T. Biomimetics and Education in Europe: Challenges, Opportunities, and Variety. Biomimetics. 2021; 6(3):49. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics6030049
Chicago/Turabian StyleSpeck, Olga, and Thomas Speck. 2021. "Biomimetics and Education in Europe: Challenges, Opportunities, and Variety" Biomimetics 6, no. 3: 49. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics6030049