ENG9300: Reflective Journal on Biomimicry in Engineering Management

This reflective journal explores the concept of biomimicry within the context of engineering management and sustainable development. The student reflects on their learning from workshops, research, and case studies, focusing on how nature's designs and strategies can inspire innovative and sustain...Read More

Running Head: REFLECTIVE JOURNAL 0
Engineering Management
Reflective Writing: Engineering management for a sustainable future
(Student Details :)
1/6/2019

Reflective Journal 1
Reflective Journal
This reflective paper is based on reflective practice and learning acquired from past reading,
research and factual analysis on ‘biomimicry subject’. I am reflecting on knowledge based on
biomimicry and its major elements through critically thinking, analysing and judging in
relation to the case studies as well as important theories about the topic. My own ideas and
practices which relate me with the topics chosen and research conducted over them during
workshops one and two in ENG93000 will be the major part of this reflective writing.
Moreover, I will draw links of my experiences and learning with the important theories
literature, case studies as well as examples that are explaining my chosen topics for the
workshop (Australis College, 2018).
For my research during ENG9300 workshop one and two, I chose biomimicry as my major
area of study because of the significance of the research subject for the engineering
management. As we know that all eengineers are motivated by nature for creating solutions
for perplexing issues which are faced by the society (Bass & Dalal-Clayton, 2012). In this
context, biomimicry is an innovative way which seeks sustainable solutions through imitating
our nature's time-tested strategies as well as patterns (Sachs, 2012). For an example, energy
generated by a solar cell for engineering management is inspired by a leaf in nature. In this
way, biomimicry research is majorly beneficial for the entire industrial management along
with advanced and innovative ideas (Bass & Dalal-Clayton, 2012). The other aspect of
choosing biomimicry subject during my workshop is that the subject is all about learning
from as well as imitating natural arrangements, processes, as well as ecosystems in order to
build more circular designs in engineering (Dash, 2013). In this way, the key idea of the
subject is that our nature has already resolved most of the issues, problems like energy, food
production, climate control, transportation, benign chemistry collaboration we are contending
with and hence we must mimicry the nature’s way of resolving problems in an efficient way
(Blewitt, 2008).
Our recent issues in the area of sustainability, engineering and manufacturing of the resources
include human resources and population, global food security, the urbanisation, safe energy
for all, industry, conflicts and energy degradation and many more (Sauve et al., 2016).
During my research in workshop ENG9300, I learnt that these above mentioned sustainability
issues are easily solvable through biomimicry approach. Biomimicry, an approach to

Reflective Journal 2
innovation seeks sustainable resolutions to all human challenges through adapting nature’s
patterns as well as strategies.
If I will summarise my research over biomimicry, then according to me it is a method of
generating solutions to all human challenges through imitating ideas and designs found as
well as implied by the nature. It can be used everywhere like vehicles, buildings and even
engineering materials (Australis College, 2018). I also analysed that integrating biomimicry
into engineering design practice can definitely produce various benefits for the global
community at a large extent (Lu et al., 2015). I learnt that community buildings, parks and
streets can easily be constructed in order to do the same functions which are done by a natural
ecosystem. For instance, storm water harvest, habitat creation, flood mitigation,
energy production and carbon sequestration all are the functions performed by ecosystem and
those are easily performable by us through adopting nature’s style (Barrow, 2008).
In my opinion, solutions to all human problems lie in three levels of biomimicry as
biomimicry work on 3 significant levels efficiently, which are as follows:
 The organism
 Organism’s behaviours
 The ecosystem (Campos, 2018).
Moreover, biomimicry is also a method for dealing with advancements which are looking for
economical solutions for the human difficulties through emulating nature's dependable
systems as well as examples. In this context, my investigation about the idea of biomimicry
recognized that two ideas of biomimicry through fundamentally brooding 4 elements of the
ideas of biomimicry: mimesis, innovation, nature, and morals (Campos, 2018). Thus, I
researched and analysed the two ideas of biomimicry which are mimesis and nature (Griggs
et al., 2013).
The first area of my research on biomimicry is mimesis which is surely not a new
advancement as it is a traditional method of solving problems through emulating any efficient
system which has already succeeded in that area (UNESCO, 2018). I have realised that an
ecosystem refers a set of ecological beings living together and all the biological as well as
non-biological organisms residing at a single place with peace makes the nature beautiful.
Besides, the organisms may include animals, a pond, trees, aquatic animals, and irrigative soil
or land etc. (Dodds & Venebles, 2008). In this context, I would like to tell that an individual

Reflective Journal 3
owning an ecological place or a farm will not be proud of, rather, preserving his place will
help in keeping the nature safe and healthy. Subsequently, while maintaining ecological
balances the person will not only help the environment, but also will help his or her fellow
mates in order to understand the need of an ecosystem (Bass & Dalal-Clayton, 2012).
In the context of requirement of preserving our ecosystem, recent era of automation is
suffering from a drastic decline in the environment quality which in turn is evolving harmful
situation for the whole mankind with rise in adverse global warming. For an example, though
automation we can raise the revenue of the area, yet it has become a major threat to the whole
mankind because people might ill use the benefits of the automation invented for the
irrigative soil or land or the ecosystem which will harm nature and mankind in the long term
(Cui & Fang, 2011).
According to me, two ideas which are mimesis and nature of the biomimicry are the pillars of
new science which studies nature's greatest ideas and then emulates those processes as well as
designs in order to resolve human kind problems (Kaygusuz, 2012). The best example of
mimesis and nature is studying a leaf which has invented a solar cell for the whole
community (Birol, 2018).
In this context, I would like to quote some more great examples of biomimicry in design and
technology inspired by the sea, plants and insects are as follows:
 Baobab Tree Inspired Tree houses.
 Armadillo Backpack.
 Gecko Climbing Feet.
 Survivor-Locating Spider
 Kingfisher-Inspired Bullet Train (Adams, 2017).
From all above quoted examples, I have learnt that the perfect resolution of a problem is not
always complex as well as a new one. Our animal kingdom has ages of an evolutionary trial-
and-error through which we can learn from. While I was learning the ideas of biomimicry
known as mimesis and nature then I got to know that human has modelled wind turbines after
humpback whales through emulating its way of living (Campos, 2018).

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In this context, I also observed that most of the modern aerodynamic designs are based on
basic principles which have ultimately adopted from our adjacent nature. Modern wind
turbines’ modelling is based on the Humpback whale, which uses its bumpy, tubercle fins for
the propulsion and hence it seemed rather counterintuitive for designing a wind turbine
(Adams, 2017).
When I analysed then I got to know that a Harvard led research team defined that the nodules,
allow the whales for choosing a steeper that is an angle of attack. Additionally, this angle of
attack is the angle amid the face of the flipper and the flow of water. Furthermore,
experiments have been conducted by the U.S.A. Naval Academy, through model flippers, and
they determined the biomimetic fins condensed drag by a third as well as improved lift by 8
% overall (Islam & Salma, 2016). Finally, the Whale Power, a corporation based in Toronto,
Canada has designed Whale Power’s biomimetic blades in order to generate the equal amount
of mechanical power at 10 miles in an hour which conventional turbines generate at 17 miles
in an hour (Adams, 2017). On the other hand, while I was researching over this subject of
biomimicry for my engineering workshop then I adopted a distinct practice of observing
nature deeply and critically to think, learn and reflect over the subject of biomimicry on the
ideas of mimesis and nature (Barrow, 2008).
In conclusion, the reflective writing helped me in demonstrating my learning during the
workshop about the topic biomimicry. I realised that defined the significance of the subject
over recent sustainability issues if the human community. Problems of recent era related to
engineering management for a sustainable future have been identified as well as addressed
for finding their appropriate solutions. I also learnt that biomimicry is not simply about
emulating an evolutionary or anatomical niche of the species but we can even get clues from
the activities and structures of the animals in order to have better life support system for
ourselves. Finally, my research and reflective writing through critically thinking over it has
helped me in nurturing my interests, ability and skill set for the future development of my
career. Moreover, my reflective writing demonstrated many aspects and important info
regarding elements, ideas and importance of biomimicry subject for the growth and welfare
of the mankind.

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References
Adams, D., 2017. The best of biomimicry: Here’s 7 brilliant examples of nature-inspired
design. [Online] Available at: https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/biomimicry-
examples/ [Accessed 06 January 2019].
Australis College, 2018. The Importance of Reflective Practice. [Online] Available at:
https://www.australiscollege.edu.au/blog/community-and-counselling-study-blog/the-
importance-of-reflective-practice/.
Barrow, C.J., 2008. Environmental Management for Sustainable Development. 2nd ed. USA:
Routledge.
Bass, S. & Dalal-Clayton, B., 2012. Sustainable development strategies: a resource book.
London: Routledge.
Birol, F., 2018. Energy is at the heart of the sustainable development agenda to 2030.
[Online] Available at: https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2018/march/energy-is-at-the-
heart-of-the-sustainable-development-agenda-to-2030.html [Accessed 26 October 2018].
Blewitt, J., 2008. Understanding Sustainable Development. UK: Earthscan.
Campos, J., 2018. What is Biomimicry? [Online] Available at: https://pages.stolaf.edu/bio-
architecture/what-is-biomimicry/ [Accessed 06 January 2019].
Cui, Q. & Fang, D., 2011. Special Issue on Engineering Management for Sustainable
Development. Journal of management in engineering, 28(1), pp.1-1.
Dash, M.C., 2013. Concepts of Environmental Management for Sustainable Development. 1st
ed. U.K.: Module Handbook.
Dodds, R. & Venebles, R., 2008. Engineering for sustainable development: Guiding
Principles. The Royal Academy of Engineers, p.52.
Griggs, D. et al., 2013. Policy: Sustainable development goals for people and planet. Nature,
495(7441), p.305.

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Islam, K.M.A. & Salma, U., 2016. The Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development: A
Case Study of Bangladesh. International journal of finance and banking research, 2(4),
pp.139-46.
Kaygusuz, K., 2012. Energy for sustainable development: A case of developing countries.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16(2), pp.1116-26.
Lu, Y., Nakicenovic, N., Visbeck, M. & Stevance, A.S., 2015. Five priorities for the UN
sustainable development goals. Nature, 520(7548), pp.432-33.
Sachs, J.D., 2012. From millennium development goals to sustainable development goals.
The Lancet, 379(9832), pp.2206-11.
Sauve, S., Bernard, S. & Sloan, P., 2016. Environmental sciences, sustainable development
and circular economy: Alternative concepts for trans-disciplinary research. Environment
Development, 17, pp.48-56.
UNESCO, 2018. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – KEY ISSUES TO ADDRESS. [Online]
Available at: http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_a/popups/mod02t01s01.html
[Accessed 06 January 2019].