I "usually" write about movies, moments, and other such things in this part of the blog, but today I'm writing about two awesome ideas.
the first idea combines this:
plus this:
AND this:
to get self-healing bioconcrete. For the details check out Henk Jonkers' project here.
The octupus provided the inspiration for a concrete that self-heals with the help of limestone generating bacteria mixed in. While it has its limits in terms of how large a crack it can heal, the potential here is extraordinary. Good luck to Jonkers and hopefully we see it out there soon.
The second idea came from Goodyear.
They combined what looks like this:
(but may actually be this):
with this:
AND this:
to get spherical tires that adapt to conditions and provide greater maneuverability. Check out the video here.
First thought - this is a concept tire, so if it's anything like a concept car, this is the first and the last time we see it...yeah for marketing, boo for consumers.
I'm not a biomimicry expert, but recently fell in love with the idea as it married several passions. Where am I going with this?
Biomimicry-inspired is a made up phrase and a qualifier for what comes next.
If you were to ask a biomimic what biomimicry is, chances are high it would involve these words, "innovation inspired by nature." I'll address the full extent of my understanding of what biomimicry is in a future post soon, but life-friendly (not just human lives) sustainability is at its core. Synthetic rubber appears to be the main material as usual and synthetic rubber is neither life-friendly nor sustainable.
While I am inspired by all the tech (magnetic levitation and 3D printing, whaah!?) in the video, perhaps the more important task at hand is finding a sustainable material for tires or foregoing the use of tires in general...where are our flying cars damn it?! Oh, here they are. Mark you calendars for 2025.
But, you still have to give them kudos for the idea.
As someone who has recently latched onto the idea of sustainability, I can certainly empathize with where, when, and how to start, plus I don't have shareholders. I can't just buy rain barrels and start composting, farming, and more in just one go. It's going to take steps and hopefully each step comes quicker and the progress accelerates.