Biomimetics is an interdisciplinary science that deals with the analysis and systematic transfer of biological insights into technical applications. Reverse biomimetics, however, also improves our understanding of biological concept generators. What does this mean for the education of kindergarten children, pupils, students, teachers and others interested in biomimetics and bioinspiration?

The authors Olgas Speck and Thomas Speck give answers to these questions in the freely available publication “Biomimetics and Education in Europe: Challenges, Opportunities, and Variety”. In the supplementary material, they present the educational module “The bone-inspired ceiling”, which is based on the biomimetic ribbed ceiling of the Old Zoology Lecture Hall of the University of Freiburg. The module includes worksheets with (1) background information on the bone-inspired ceiling, (2) a photoelastic experiment with a gelatine body to show mechanical stresses, (3) observations, (4) solutions and (5) explanations of the experimental results, and (6) an additional sheet with information about the method of photoelasticity.

Speck O, Speck T. Biomimetics and Education in Europe: Challenges, Opportunities, and Variety. Biomimetics. 2021; 6(3):49.
https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics6030049