in a room at stanford university scientists are studying a small animal called a gecko. it's an amazing animal because it can move very quickly up and down a tree and even upside down on ceilings
the scientists are particularly interested in the gecko's feet. They want to use the same design on a metal robot that looks very similar to the gecko. It has four feet and can walk up walls made of glass or plastic, but it still has trouble walking upside down.
Animals and plants can teach humans a lot about design and engineering. As a result,many engineers, scientists,and designer spend time studying them. when they have a problem,nature often has the answer. this science is called biomimetics. Bio means living things and mimetic means copying. In other words, scientists or biomimeticists study animals and plants in order to copy their design.
For example, engineers in Canada are studying whale flippers because they move so effective though water. The engineers believe the shape can improve the movement of wind turbines. Similarly, engineers at Mercedes Benz in Germany are using the shape of the box fish in one of their new cars because it makes the car faster and more fuel efficient.